Reluctant Cupid, Thy Name Is Daniel Meade
by Commodore Griffin
Summary: Daniel Meade can't even figure out his own love life. So how is he supposed to help Betty Suarez? Follows the Betty-relationships of Season 2, Henry/Betty on the onset, with Gio/Betty as the endgame
1. Part 1 Alexis

Daniel Meade wasn't the most unselfish person in the world. In fact, sometimes, he was downright obtuse when it came to other people. It was never intentional, but when you spend so much time trying to be exactly who your family didn't want you to, it was hard learning that _yes_, you could be a real person and still be a Meade.

Still, sometimes, he was still lost when it came to doing the right thing for the right person. He didn't always get that sometimes, you had to look out for someone else than yourself. That had changed, somewhat, with Betty Suarez – his assistant, his friend, and his closest confidante. They learned how to look out for one another, and he got used to someone having his back, and knowing he would always have hers.

It was just … well, he didn't think that would involve her _love_ life.

Damn Alexis, anyways. It all started with her. If she had just minded her own damned business, he wouldn't be here in the first place.

**1. Alexis**

"God, is Henry still here?" Were the first words out of Alexis Meade's mouth, thick with disbelief from the doorway of Daniel's office.

Daniel blinked up from where he was perusing the latest model shots for the next issue. Blue eyes narrowed on his former brother, now sister, disturbing gorgeous in her red dress. He took in her stance – arms over her chest – looking pissed as hell. He tilted his head, his voice mildly wry, "You know, most people just start with 'Good Morning'."

Alexis twisted towards him, her scowl still blaringly obvious. "Good morning, Daniel. What the hell is Henry doing?"

Daniel arched an eyebrow at her, before canting his head towards the round window that looked out to the rest of the office, but most importantly out to Betty's desk, where she sat smiling adoringly at her animatedly talking boyfriend, Henry Grubstick.

Probably about some sort of obscure scientific fact, that or baby ducklings. They were both ridiculously fond of infant fowl, for some reason.

He smiled a little at the thought of Betty's face lighting up at , before he cleared his throat and gave Alexis another dry glance. "Looks like he's sharing his lunch break with Betty. If it's really getting to you, we can always call security." He smirked a little, as he went back to looking at the pictures, "Damn him, anyways, for being hungry. We'll get the bastard."

He heard Alexis's aggravated snort, heard her Jimmy Choos clacking against his office floor towards him, but he didn't put it together until the back of her hand connected with his skull, hard. He dropped the folder in surprised and yelped, "Jesus Chris, Alex! What the hell was _that_ for?!"

Alexis was perched on his desk, arching a perfect golden eyebrow at him, "Well, you shouldn't have gotten lippy, little brother. Now why is Henry Grubstick still here, working in our office and making eyes at Betty when he should be two thousand miles away with his pregnant ex-girlfriend?"

Daniel rubbed the side of his head, looking up at her with a dour look. "You know as well as I do that he's here until his baby is born, and he's trying to spend as much time with Betty before that as possible – and I want you to know I think I have a permanent dent in my head from your … gigantic, stupid ring."

"You'd deserve it, because you haven't stepped in and stopped this." Alexis glanced out the window, and her voice softened, "How can you just sit there, watching her break her heart every day with him?"

"Listen, it's like I didn't try – wait, why do you care?" He stopped rubbing his head long enough to stare at his sister. "You and Betty have never been close."

"She's just not _your _Betty, you know." Alexis balled up her fist and slammed it into Daniel's Armani clad shoulder, shades of annoyance curling around her perfect mouth. "She's done a lot for this family – for you, for Mom, even for me and I've never given her a reason to like me. I feel protective of her – like you should be."

"Ow! Could you at least _hit _like a girl?" Daniel sighed as he rubbed his shoulder, "And like I said before, I _tried. _I threatened to fire him. What happened was lies, a musical theatre debacle of the highest order, and some poor guy who had to pretend to be Betty's new boyfriend, dragged into the middle of it all," He snorted a laugh."You should have seen the fake boyfriend's face, though, when Betty came swinging out on stage --"

"She pretended having a boyfriend? Who was he? What he cute?" Alexis perked at this, leaning closer to her brother.

"Yes, she did, so I wouldn't fire Henry. I won't admit the temptation still isn't there but – anyways. The guy's name was, well it _is_ Gio, and for the love of God, Alexis, how the hell would I know if he's cute?" Daniel gave her a wry look, "Gio's -- well – he's a normal guy -"

"_Gio_? Gio. _Where_ have I heard that name before?" Alexis interrupted, her lovely face creased into a thoughtful frown. In response, Daniel dug into his top desk drawer and pulled out one of Gio's brightly colored flyers for his sandwich shop. Alexis stared at it in disbelief, "The _Sandwich_ Guy?"

Which would was the point where Gio cleared his throat from the doorway, making both Meade siblings twist towards him in shock. He flashed them a lazy smile, as he leaned against the doorway, drawling. "Strangely enough, my mother decided 'Giovanni' would look better on my birth certificate. But hey – Sandwich Guy is always catchy."

"Hello Gio, how are you doing?" Daniel gave Alexis a pointed look, as he hopped out of his chair. "Got my order?"

"Doing all right, and I got it right here, Mr. Meade. I would have given it to Betty, but Egg Salad's there and they're making with the baby duckling talk." Gio held out the white bag, his face carefully deadpan, "I thought I'd spare all of us."

Daniel grinned, as he put his bag on the counter, going for his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

"Seven even." Daniel turned around to see Gio eying Alexis, and Alexis eying him right back. Gio tilted his head, giving her a long look over. "So if I'm Sandwich Guy, does this make you the Barbie formerly known as Ken?"

Daniel paused, his jaw hardening as he turned to give Gio a piece of his mind. However, Alexis waved him off, meeting Gio's dark gaze evenly with her own icicle-cold blue eyes, her tone crisp. "That's Editor-in-Chief Barbie, to you."

Gio's grin flashed suddenly, dimples deep with mischievousness. "Hey, makes no nevermind to me. I just make the sandwiches. Sandwich Guy, remember?" Daniel relaxed, and handed over the money. Gio took it with a nod of thanks, turning to leave, but he paused by the door long enough to eye Alexis for another moment, then he winked flirtatiously and left, calling out behind him, "For what it's worth, I think it's a _definite_ improvement."

Daniel's jaw dropped open, and as he looked at Alexis he found her expression mirroring his own. They gaped at each other for a moment before Alexis snapped her jaw shut, her voice incredulous. "What a … he's got some balls, saying that to me!"

"Yeah. I know." Daniel suddenly grinned, soft and amused. "That's one of the reasons I like him."

Alexis's surprise faded to admiration. "I can see why. That's a man who speaks his mind, straightforward. Honest. Also, he's got good taste." She arched an eyebrow at her brother, as she stood up, a little pleased smile on her lips. "You should _definitely_ get him together with Betty."

Daniel stared at her for a moment, before he threw up his hands in exasperation, "Are you insane? I'm not getting involved with this, Alexis! I'm not anyone's Yenta!"

Alexis gave him another long, calculating look, as she clacked expertly out the door, "I was thinking more like _Cupid_, actually. Get on that, will you?"

Daniel inhaled deeply to say something pithy in response, and failed as anything appropriately snarky just fled his mind in shock. He just sighed instead, muttering under his breath as he glared at his sister's leaving form. "Yeah, well, I always sucked at archery."

Of course he forgot all about it.

All right, to be fair, he purposely forgot about it. He pretended ignorance to Alexis's pointed looks. After all, it was Betty's life. They both agreed to that after the _Wicked_ mess. She was going to love Henry, and be with Henry, because she honestly couldn't see her life without the gangly accountant.

Daniel didn't push it. There were too many other factors, he explained to himself. There was Wilhelmina Slater to consider, after all. Not to mention his father's passing. Life was… _complicated._

Well… maybe he should have at least said something or asked anyone else in her life what they thought of the situation. But Betty put up a solid wall of stubborn when it came to Henry and in the end all he could do was offer a shoulder and late night Chinese sessions.

In the end though, his avoidance didn't matter. Mostly because his _mother_ decided to get involved.


	2. Part 2 Claire

2

**2. Claire**

The crowd of well-wishers for Claire Meade's successful release from prison had all faded to the family, and all three Meades were slumped over different pieces of Daniel's office furniture. At some point, Daniel finished contemplating his ceiling, to look at two of the most important women in his life, knowing that the third, Betty, was handling the last few congratulatory calls. He canted his head up and smiled first at Alexis, who perched on the window sill, then over to his mother on the sofa, who had kicked off her heels and was looking dreamily into her empty champagne glass.

She looked back at her son, and her face melted into a warm smile, "Someone looks contemplative."

Daniel shook his head a little, sitting up in his office chair and loosening his tie. "Just thinking – today the Meade family did good."

"I'm not sure it is as much 'did good', as benefit from it." Alexis sighed and stretched out her long legs, but the smile on her face wouldn't quit, "Betty _really_ saved the day, again."

"Oh, _no_ kidding. You have no idea how many raises I owe that girl. By the time I'm finished we'll probably be working for her." He rolled to his feet, stretching.

"We should do something nice for her." Claire said firmly, offering his hand to her son to help her out of her prone position. "Maybe send her boyfriend and her off on a nice trip."

"Well, if Henry can get the time away, considering the baby…" Daniel began to say, but Claire held up her hand, waving her fingers in a 'stop stop' motion, a confused look on her still beautiful face.

"Wait, Henry? I thought her boyfriend was that tiny, adorable man in the leather coat." She smiled, "You know, the one she was flirting with earlier."

"No, Mom, that's Gio. They're just friends," Daniel took her hand and pulled Claire to her feet, turning around to give Alexis a look when she snorted derisively, "Don't _you_ start."

"I am sorry, Danny, but you weren't looking at him from my angle." His sister smirked faintly, before putting one hand dramatically to her ample chest, "Where he was looking at her like she was the _only_ thing in the room."

"_Henry_ looks at her like that. What the heck is wrong with Henry?" Daniel asked, aggravated over the thought of getting dragged into this discussion, again, with Alexis.

"There is nothing wrong with Henry, except for the fact he's leaving in a few months with the mother of his illegitimate love-child." Alexis pointed a finger at Daniel, "And don't tell me you approve of it either, because I know very well that you _don't_. Henry's keeping her back from moving on with her life, and from what I've seen of Gio, he's the one who is moving her forward. Weren't you the one who told me he got her to join that writing class?"

"That - that is not the point! Even if I don't approve, it doesn't mean we, as a family, get to have a vote in for who Betty sees. If she wants Henry, then Henry she is going to have." Daniel stepped up to his sister, "And it would be the same thing it if it were Gio. I just want Betty …"

He was cut off by Betty's cheery voice as she entered, "Want Betty to what? And what about Gio?"

All three Meades stared at each other in a panic, while Daniel stuttered, "We want – ah – You – and – er Gio – but not – like – uhm…"

That was the moment where Claire Meade showed her salt, by stepping up smoothly and wrapping one arm around Betty's shoulders. "We wanted to get some of Gio's sandwiches, but we thought it might be a bit much to ask you to order us food, on top of _everything_ else that you've done for us today. So, we thought we would all go downstairs and ask you to join us, if you didn't have to get home right away. Nothing _formal_ or fancy, just a casual family dinner, with close friends."

"Oh! Well, I'd be glad to. I mean, you still should come by the house, Mrs. Meade, because Papi is planning on making you celebratory cupcakes." Betty beamed brightly into the circle of warm Meade expressions, "He's going to individually put little birds getting out of little jail cages."

Daniel and Alexis exchanged a glance, repressing smiles. Claire stepped up once more, her tone gracious as ever, "That sounds lovely, dear. Why don't you get your things and we'll meet you by the elevator?"

"Okay! I'll see you there." Betty flounced off, and all three Meades watched her leave, still smiling.

As soon as she was out of sight, however, Daniel turned to Claire, hissing under his breath, "Mother, what in the name of _Hell_ are you doing?"

Claire smiled, but it was the sort of smile that reminded Daniel that as kindly as his mother could be, she had a sharp side as well. "Daniel, I want to make an impartial opinion. I know Henry – he has always seemed like a charming, intelligent young man, who now unfortunately has a love-child with an inappropriate ex-lover, which makes him slightly less intelligent. Now, it is time to check out the competition. _Purely_ to remain unbiased, of course."

"He's not competition! He's just the guy who makes the sandwiches!" Daniel groaned, as Claire slipped her arm through his, dragging him out of his office, with Alexis right behind.

"Like I said before, Danny, you didn't see the look on his face. He was wistful." Alexis retorted behind him gleefully, "_Longing_ for a hint of Betty affection or approval."

"We're not going to push anything, Daniel. We're just going to go in there, maybe a half an hour or so, and then leave. No harms, no fouls." Claire solemnly drew a bejeweled hand across her chest.

He eyed his mother. "You promise? Nothing weird? Just checking him out and sandwiches?"

"Yes, and not necessarily in that order, either. After all, prison food isn't exactly _haute cuisine._ I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into something that is _not_ dripping with government brand gravy." Claire drawled as they approached the elevator, where Betty stood waiting, giving them a bright braces-filled smile of glee.

For a moment, Daniel allowed himself to think that it would end there, with nothing untold. His mother would remain impartial – a fair judge in this contest between Daniel and Alexis – or more pointedly, Henry versus Gio. They weren't going to stick their noses where they didn't belong.

So of course, they would have to walk in on Gio singing, dancing smoothly from one end of his little sandwich counter to the other, and Daniel could tell that his mother was both amused and charmed. Completely ignorant that he was not alone, Gio contined to move, his tone slightly off-key but sounding like he was enjoying himself, "You mean to me, what I mean to you, together baby there is nothing we can't do – Jesus!"

He finished a spin to find his sandwich shop filled to the brim with Meades, and Betty. Daniel admired the other man's composure as he just flashed a smile and slid over to them, as if he hadn't been grooving on a moment before. "Goooood afternoon, welcome to Gio's." His smile widened as he looked over at Betty, "Hey, Eater."

Besides him, Betty snorted, pushing past Gio into the small seating area. "Don't start, Gio. We've come for _sandwiches_, not for your witty repartee."

"It's all part of the service, Suarez." Gio smirked, before looking around at the rest of the Meades, "But I'll be glad to provide food for the hungry – especially since I need to replace the front window. What can I get for you folks?"

"We noticed that, walking in. What happened?" Daniel asked, letting his attention wander away to the window covered in plastic. He turned back to find Betty and Gio sharing a significant glance.

Betty flushed when she caught Daniel's gaze and muttered under her breath, "The perfumed drug was _really_, really strong."

Daniel took a moment to process that, before his eyes widened a little. Betty had said she had been affected by the drug, but he hadn't realized it had let up to, well, acts of vandalism. Gio caught his look, and met it with steely eyes as he said loudly and firmly in Betty's defense, "And I told you before, here and in the hospital, it _wasn't_ your fault Suarez."

Betty shot Gio a grateful look, and Daniel felt like an ass as he said quickly, "I wasn't saying it was her fault. I just didn't realize how fast it could affect your, er, judgment."

"Oh, I can personally attest to its speed. But it was _very_ kind of you to be understanding," Claire paused, her pale eyebrows lifted expectantly, "If I am getting this correctly, you brought Betty to the hospital after the… incident?"

Gio shrugged, casual as could be, but this time Daniel took the time to follow Alexis's advice and looked into the other man's eyes. He mentally groaned. The look he saw there told a completely different tale then the casual words coming out of Gio's mouth. That look screamed, _I'd do anything to make sure she was okay_, while his lips said, "Doesn't make good business sense, alienating my best customer, or, you know, letting her die of toadstool poisoning? It was the least I could do."

"Mm. Well, don't you worry about that window, Mr. Rossi. My family will reimburse you every penny, and I won't brook any argument over it. We take care of our own here, at Meade Publications." Claire smiled, one arm wrapped around Betty's shoulders in another hug, "And because of that, I know Betty is going to pick out the perfect sandwiches for all of us. Right Betty?"

"Consider me a Gio's expert." Betty said, before she spared Gio a glare. "Don't you even _think_ of going there."

Gio's dimples flashed, "Wouldn't dream of it, not in front of the ladies." He saluted Claire and Alexis, as he angled Betty back towards the counter, teasing her every step of the way.

Daniel took one look at the smug look on Alexis's face and sighed as he turned to his mother, who was watching Gio and Betty together, "Mom, you _promised_. Unbiased."

Claire inhaled slowly, before turning towards abruptly towards Daniel, her smirk fierce. "Oh, _screw_ that. You listen to your sister on this one, Daniel Meade."

Alexis smirked and tilted her head back and forth, "Neener neener."

Daniel rolled his eyes, as he went towards the table, "I don't care what the two of you say, I am _not_ going around in my underwear with big…. fluffy wings on, playing matchmaker!" He muttered softly, "At least not without a very good damned reason."

His mother poked him in the arm, and then nodded her head curtly over to where Gio was laughing and ducking as Betty threw straws at him. "That's not a good enough reason?"

Daniel stared at Betty who was actually grinning broadly, despite acting aggravated. He felt his jaw working for a moment before he said quietly, "Not while she's still in love with someone else, no, it isn't." He held up his hand, stopping Alexis and Claire in their tracks, "And as far as I'm concerned, that's the end of it."

He could tell though, by the look the two women shared that it was _far_ from over.

After that afternoon in the deli, it was silent, guerilla warfare against him, and in part, against Henry. Alexis started it by regularly asking at staff meetings if anyone was hungry and then ordering from _Gio's_, so everyone in the entire Meade building seemed to always be carrying in a white _Gio's _bag. What was really odd was having that happen at Mode – but custom ordered lettuce on lettuce sandwiches were all the rage.

Then Claire started her magazine – which was a stress on itself. Add to that her being in the building all the time directly led to her talking to Gio a great deal since she said that she didn't need an assistant to fetch her lunch, thank-you-so-much. Now she was down there, every day, encouraging Gio in God Knew What Ways.

None of this was helped by Henry's obvious jealousy of the sandwich maker, which just seemed ridiculous. Well, unless you had seen Betty and Gio together, and then had to wonder yourself…

Daniel gritted his teeth, ignored the subtle signs and the not-so-subtle ones, and told himself there was no reason to feel like shaking his fist in Gio's general direction while he was on the Mode floor delivering food and chatting to Betty. He was _determined_ to keep out of it. Henry would be gone soon, and this would all be a moot point. Besides, it was just a work issue. Alexis and Claire wouldn't dare attack outside of the building environment – Betty would rip into them like they were hamburger.

So surprisingly enough, his change of heart came not from within, but from without. Even with how smart Justin Suarez was, Daniel never saw it coming.


	3. Part 3 Justin

3

**3. Justin**

"God, what a day!" Daniel sighed as he slumped back against the comfortable seat of the Lincoln Towncar, glancing over at Betty, who sighed back in agreement.

"I keep forgetting how temperamental designers are." She grumbled, kicking off her shoes and flexing her stocking covered toes, "But I really don't think they should have been throwing everything in the office at each other. I mean, that seems a _little_ unprofessional to me."

"I didn't forget. Never do." Daniel rolled his eyes, "And to think it was all over a lover's spat. I didn't even know they were dating. In fact, I never knew that _happened_."

"Oh, it happens. It happened in the women's bathroom stall, twenty minutes later. I had to go down a floor to pee." Betty slumped next to Daniel, before opening her planner, "And tomorrow doesn't look much better."

Daniel rubbed one hand over his face and through his spiky hair. "All right, hit me."

Betty skimmed and said thoughtfully, "Okay. So we've got Peter Parker for the Keira Knightly shots - "

Daniel perked up at that, staring at Betty. "Peter _Parker_??"

She flashed him a bright, metal-filled smile smile, "Yeah, I know, right?" She deflated a little, "But he's like - forty years old and gay."

One side of his mouth lifted. "So no webslinging?"

"Yeah, webs are _not_ what he's slinging. More like twenty year old male models." Betty said dryly, before she looked over the rest of the schedule thoughtfully, "You know what would make this all better? Papi's enchiladas."

Daniel felt the grin slip on his face, "These wouldn't happen to be … beef enchiladas with green corn salsa, would they?"

"May-be, but you'll only find out if you come over for dinner." Betty said archly, before shrugging a little, her smile a little wistful, "Henry had to go to Tucson – another baby check-up. Charlie's due date is coming fast and I - I could use some friends, right now."

"Well, I'm never one to turn down food and possible Scrabble night." Daniel gave her a gentle elbow. "Also, you have plenty of friends, Betty. People who want to be there for you. Christina, for one. Gio for another," He was confused when Betty's shoulders suddenly hunched, and he kept going on, "And you know, my mom really likes you."

"I really like your mom. She's kind of a role model for me." Betty's smile flashed back on, but Daniel noticed the trace of a shadow there. She fell into a silence that Daniel decided to let her have, but he watched her face. She had that expression, the troubled one that said Betty had the weight of the world on her shoulders. He felt his curiosity twinge, then held it down. They were almost at her house, anyways.

The Suarez house always made Daniel feel like he was returning some place that was warm and familiar; like his own bed, or maybe visiting his mother. Every single time he walked in through the front door it was always the same routine and tonight was no different; Betty rushed in first, getting hugs, and then there was a chorus from the other Suarezes.

Ignatio's cheerful, "Daniel! Great, I'll put another plate down, make yourself at home. You're just in time for the conclusion of the Floria storyline. We might _actually_ find out who the baby's father is!"

Followed by Hilda's cheery, "He-ey Daniel, I _really_ like what you're doing with that suit. How's the big fashion world? Anything scandalous?"

Then finally there was Justin, who always hopped over to him and asked him a variety of questions about what he had been caught doing during the week, and it was no different this time. The young teenager planted himself in front of him, eyes wide. "Daniel, seriously. Did you _really_ bump elbows with Nathan Lane this week?"

Daniel's lips quirked as he stripped off his suit-coat and loosened his tie, "Yes, we were at the same charity dinner. He's a really funny, sincere man. You a fan?"

"Are you serious? His run in _The Producers_ was _masterful_." Justin flung up his hands. "The man is a genius. _Simply_ genius."

Daniel grinned, as Betty said from the landing of the stairs, "I'm going to get changed – Daniel, can you help with setting the table?"

Daniel was about to reply, when Hilda said loudly and casually, "Oh, hey, Betty? I saw Gio today."

Betty stopped. Just dead stopped on the staircase, and Daniel watched with some concern as her fingers tightened on the railing. Her voice, when she spoke, was low, "Did you?"

Daniel didn't miss the look between Hilda and Ignatio, and Hilda moved a little closer to the staircase, "Yeah, he was picking his sister at school."

There was another significant pause. Daniel held still, almost afraid to break it. Then Betty responded, and he could tell that she was forcing out her words with care, "Well, I hope he's… well. Yes, I hope he's well. Uhm, I'll be down in a sec."

She disappeared upstairs, and Daniel found himself whispering, "What the hell is that all about?"

He watched Hilda and Ignatio exchange another look, and finally Hilda let out a sigh and waved one finely manicured hand, "It's … nothing. Don't worry about it, Daniel. Justin, come on, time to take out the garbage."

Justin got up from where he was working on his homework, casting a quick sideways look to Daniel, looking at him pointedly, "Can Daniel help? There's like, enough bags to be put under Britney's eyes."

"I don't mind." Daniel added quickly, offering up one of his boyish smiles, "I mean, anything to speed up dinner."

He felt both adult Suarez's eyes bore into him, but finally Hilda gestured towards the small room off the kitchen. Daniel and Justin both gathered up the garbage, and when Daniel gave the young teenager a significant look, Justin shook his head and mouthed, 'Outside'. They lugged the bags out to the front stoop and dropped them in the cans out front, and it was only then that Justin let out a long, lengthy breath. "Oh. Mm. Gee. The _Quelle_ Drama continues."

Daniel glanced at the front of the Suarez house, to make sure they weren't being spied on, before turning back to Justin, keeping his voice low, "What in the name of He- heck is going on?"

Justin sighed, resting one hand on his hip. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't noticed. Aunt Betty's being all …Gio-repressed."

"Gio-repressed?" Daniel repeated, baffled.

"Yeah, Henry had a little wiggy moment all his own and was like, 'Grrr, arrrgh Gio', and then Aunt Betty was all, well of course I won't talk to him! So like, she's been avoiding him like the plaid-plague." Justin rolled his eyes.

Daniel whistled under his breath, leaning against the gate, "I hadn't even realized. I mean, it's not like I don't see him every day. I just assumed your aunt … did."

"Yeah, no. And between you, me, and your Hugo Boss tie? She's miserable about it." Justin leaned on the other side. "I mean, seriously. She puts up good face, but it really bothers her."

"Because she doesn't like dictating who her friends are going to be, over one relationship?" Daniel asked, because if there was anyone who would be completely frank about it, it would be Justin.

"Ye-ah, but no. I mean, Henry didn't _ask_ her to stop talking to Gio. She totally volunteered. It's just what Aunt Betty does, you know? She sacrifices herself to make everyone happy." Justin rolled his eyes once more, "Which is lame – because she's totally dogging Henry _and_ Gio to be a Jesus Christ Superstar-sized martyr."

Daniel folded his arms, frowning as he looked down the street, "Well, your aunt is a very giving person."

"Yeah, but what happens when there's nothing left of herself to give? She is not _McDonald's_. Anyways, all I know is that when she keeps being sad about Henry leaving and her giving him up and all that, Gio is the one that cheers her up. She shouldn't be torturing herself over baby-mama drama. Personally, she should have cut clean, and let Henry go. Had herself some Ho-ho's and then chased after Gio, who is _seriously_ just waiting around for her to catch the clue-bus," Justin sighed in aggravation and shrugged, "But what do I know? I'm thirteen. I'm not _old_ enough to understand anything."

"Oh, I don't know. You seem pretty sharp to me." Daniel said wryly, "You've just broken down an argument two grown women have been trying to shove down my throat for months now."

"Really? Cool." Justin shuffled a little, pleased with himself, before his face became more serious, "So what do you think we should do?"

Daniel sighed, heavily. "Why are you asking me?"

"Be-cause you're like, the only other person who isn't being all premenstrual about it. Mom keeps supporting both Henry and Gio, depending on what Aunt Betty's got to say. Grandpa doesn't like either one them like out of spite. And like, Aunt Betty's all 'woe-emo-hand-staple-forehead'." Justin demonstrated by putting his own hand to his forehead, before canting a stance at him, "You are seriously the only normal adult I know right now."

"That's … not saying much, is it?" Daniel said, his lips quirking into a wry, understanding smile.

"Considering all your relationship issues? Ye-eah. Not really. But, like _Project Runaway_, we gotta work with what we got." Justin said firmly, "So, ideas?"

Daniel sighed, rubbing his hands through his hair. "Okay. We're dealing with a fairly foreign category, for, well, both of us."

"I … thought you've had lot of women." Justin said, eyebrow arched, "You know, _man in the know…_ kind of know."

"Okay, one, I never want to hear that phrase from your mouth again, because I'm pretty sure I just got shocked into disapproval." Daniel gave Justin a bit of a glare, before he pursued his lips, "And two, just because I've dated … a number of women doesn't mean I understand them."

"Well, who understands women, then?" Justin asked skeptically.

_Their mothers, _was Daniel's first thought, but that was a painful wound he was never going to try to lance. Nor was he going to go ask his mother – she might think he was ready to join her guerilla campaign. He thought about it, and then let his mouth quirk, "Their best friends." He arched an eyebrow, "You feel up to a _Mode_ field-trip this week?"

Justin's smile was worth a million bucks, "Is black the new red?"

And just like that, Daniel was in. He was in-volved. But what else could he do? Betty had been there for every stage of his life for the past two years. She'd picked up the pieces so often that there wasn't a crack she didn't know.

What sort of friend would he be, if he wasn't there the same way?

The problem was getting Justin and himself to Christina, and she was being surprisingly hard to find. It was weird, because you didn't think you could lose a curvy, blonde, mouthy Scotswoman. Christina had apparently learned hiding skills from ninjas in her spare time from setting hems and ogling underwear models.

He shouldn't have worried about it. After all, it was his universe and things, while never falling into a neat pattern, always managed to come to a logical conclusion. How did it go, fortune favors the brave and foolish? Well, he was usually one half one, one half the other.

Still, looking exactly where she should have been was not what he expected, because that was how Justin and he found Christina.


	4. Part 4 Christina

4

**4. Christina**

"Best. Spring. Vac-kay. Ever." Justin said, his voice hushed as he and Daniel walked around the Mode offices, as usual abuzz with thin, gorgeous looking people rushing around. He bounced a little at Daniel's side. "I really get to be your personal assistant for the _entire_ day?"

"Hey, if your aunt's still sick, you could end up being my assistant all week." Daniel answered, pleased that Justin let out a little squeak of happiness.

"Wow … it's really awful hoping Aunt Betty has the flu, isn't it?" Justin said, wrinkling his nose a little.

"Ye-eah, a little, but I'm sure she'd understand." Daniel grinned, before putting on a fairly serious face. "Okay, you ready to get started?"

Justin put on an entirely serious face and flipped out a notebook, taking a pencil from behind his ear. He looked rather like a wee-Marc with his little vest and tie combo, but then again, Justin didn't make Daniel constantly want to turn around to see where he had stuck the knife in. Pencil poised, Justin spoke firmly, "Ready, Mr. Meade."

Daniel suppressed another smile, folding his hands behind him as he walked, "Okay, today we've got a meeting with our creative director for the upcoming issue. She'll bring her little cadre, so we're going to need six skinny lattes, extra foam on hers."

"Got it. With or without cinnamon sticks?" Justin asked, just in the same tone as Betty would. Competence seemed to run rampant in the Suarez genes.

"Surprise me – and make sure there's a basket of fat free muffins, too. Sneak in a few regular ones for me. After that, we've got lunch with my sister and my mother in my sister's office – so we'll probably be ordering in."

Justin went into his back pocket and pulled out a _Gio's_ menu. "Would you like to pick your sandwich now?"

Daniel sighed, rolling his eyes a little. Yes, they would probably be ordering from there, wouldn't they? "Chicken salad, with mustard. Oh, and a bag of the kettle chips. I'm going to want to crunch _loudly_ and _obnoxiously_."

Justin grinned as he jotted notes. "Got it – what's next?"

"The afternoon is going to be basic – I've got to go over the full wardrobe choices, so you'll just be answering phones and taking care of messages. What am I missing – oh, right, avoid Amanda today. She's having a Gene Simmons day." Off of Justin's look, he waved his hand. "Trust me, you don't want me to expand on that. Ah – right – and right now, we have to go to the fashion "Closet", and see what the models are going to be wearing this issue."

Justin bounced on his heels, "I get to see the new lines before they even hit the shelves? I am having a Very Excited Moment!"

"If only I could get your aunt this excited about clothes," Daniel mused, "The thing she's most hyped about is fresh copies from the copier machine." He and Justin exchanged a look and said at the same time, mimicking Betty, "No smudges!"

They both came to an abrupt halt right through the doorway, as a whirling dervish in flowing clothes whipped around, her long blond hair pulled into an attractive coif. She was hurriedly pinning at least three different dresses on three different clothing dummies, muttering to herself all the while. Daniel stared at her for a moment in shock – he'd been looking for her for so many weeks that it seemed like she would fade any moment, like a fashionable Scottish mirage. He spoke cautiously. "Christina?"

For her part, Christina let out a noise that sounded like 'waugh!' - threw up her hands - and pins came flying out of her mouth. She turned to stare at Daniel and Justin, her blue eyes wide, her brogue thickening, "Sweet Jesus! Y'nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm, uhm, sorry. I've just needed to talk to you about something important. Well, we have." Daniel exchanged another look with Justin as they stepped further into the Closet.

Christina blinked - her mouth opening and shutting, before she stuttered, "Me? Why? I haven't done anything. Certainly nothing worthy enough of you wantin' to speak with me. Alone. Hopefully… not in a dark alley."

"Ah? Okay. Just, if you have a second? I mean, I know you've been scarce and this is a really busy time for you." Daniel said slowly. Christina looked panicked and he wasn't quite sure _why_.

"Yes, actually, it is. It's a really busy time for me and not a, a, a time I should be disappearing off the face of the earth, is it?" Christina's fear faded into an anger that Daniel was just baffled over, as she starting waving her hands wildly. "I mean, it's not like I don't have a job, or a life, or, or, or, things that I need to get done on my own, is it? I've got a career and, and, and a Husband who needs me! I don't have time to be lazing about! I shouldn't have to sneak in here like I'm escapin' from a _prison camp_! Besides, if the little bugger is in there then he's going to stay in there! It's not like he's going to, to, to _trip_ and _fall out_!"

"Oh. Kay. Maybe we should come back later. Like, after you've had a _hundred _Valium." Justin said softly, and he tugged Daniel back out of the line of angry Scottish fire.

Christina put her hand to her face, sighed heavily, and shook her head a little. "Sorry, I'm … just. Sorry. What did you two need?"

"We wanted your advice, about a problem with Betty? But if this a bad time, we can always…" Daniel trailed off, concern and confusion mixing on his face.

Christina actually smiled, "Y'know what? It'll be nice to think of someone else's problems for a bit. C'mon with me." She lead them further into the closet, behind some clothing racks. She gestured them to pull up some plastic bins, and settled herself on one. "Now, what's the problem?"

"Well, what we wanted to ask, really, is ah. It's sort of personal? And I'm not saying we're going to be poking our noses into anything, but it seems like maybe we should – be – talking to someone about it, who would know what's going on with Betty, _really_, and. Well." Daniel sighed exasperatedly. "You know, this all sounded a lot better in my head."

Justin gave Daniel a sympathetic pat on the arm, before looking at Christina directly, "Okay, so, about this Gio guy. Should Aunt Betty get with him after Henry high-tails it back with Charlie to Tucson, or is it a no-fly-zone?"

Christina made a face. "Oh, well, _Gio._"

Daniel shot a glance over to Justin, then back to Christina, his voice quiet. "You don't like him?"

"Like him? Like him? What's there to like? He's an annoying little man with floppy hair, isn't he?" Christina puffed up a little. "Always falling in his face, like he's one of those people who's never heard of a comb. He's just so – _short_, and _in-your-face_, and short and _opinionated_ and short and _brash_ and _pushy_ and, and, and …"

Daniel and Justin echoed together uneasily, "Short?"

Christina snapped her fingers. "Exactly! He's not Henry, is he? Who Betty _loves_ more than anything. Henry's a man, right up to living up to all his responsibilities even when he didn't even know if the baby was his. Henry's solid, that's what he is. Solid as a _rock_."

"Well, Henry is," Daniel started to say, but Christina was off and running again.

"And it doesn't even matter that he could have just, whisked Betty off and asked her to marry him ages ago, before all this nonsense of going or staying or going or staying again. No, he's a good man. He's a good man who is doing the right thing. More people should be like that!" Christina pointed a finger right at Daniel.

"Yeah, I." Justin managed to get out before Christina jabbed the finger back at the boy.

"But then again, if he loved Betty, maybe he should have done all those things, eh? There's a time where you should be a good person and there's a time where you should grab what you want out of life! Gio, annoying little sod that he is, gets that! Even with his floppy hair!" Christina took a deep breath, "Besides, I'm fairly sure he'd never get a strumpet pregnant. There's a man who knows how to use a condom, for the love of God!"

"You mean Cha -" Daniel clamped his mouth shut as Christina's avenging finger swung back at him.

Christina was seething now, "Oh, don't you mention that evil Hellwitch to me! She comes here, steals Henry, gets herself pregnant, and then Betty is just supposed to put up with her because she's the mother of Henry's baby? Where's the fairness in that? Betty deserves better. She does. She shouldn't be playin' second fiddle to the _Tucson Tart_ and her offspring! And … and …and when you get down to it, that's why I don't like Gio."

Daniel's eyebrows rose slowly, and he ventured a question, "It is?"

Christina let out a long, slow breath, folded her arms across her knees, her lips quirking into a half-smile. "Yeah, because look, here is he is. Sure, he's annoying as all get out and mouthy besides, but just _look_ what he does to her. He drives her _crazy_. He makes her _feel_. So where was he a year ago when Walter was leaving and Henry was being a stupid shite? Where was he with his charmin' and his flirtin', and the way he cares about her? Stupid little sod has the worst timing in the world. Now we've got to sit here and wait for her to get that and for all we know it might be too late, and she misses on a chance of pure, complicated happiness. Y'know, picket fence and the dogs and all that – but on top, the fighting over who's turn it is to take out the garbage and who has to change the wee one's diapers. You look at that short mouthy man and I tell you, you can see the future. You can see Saturday nights at clubs and Sunday mornings sleepin' in, and your heart breaks all over again, because it's so close for her, and with her holding onto Henry, so _very_ far."

She let out another sigh. "He's evitable, Giovanni Rossi. If _only_ he didn't have such _floppy_ hair."

There was a moment of silence, behind the designer clothing racks.

"She's got a point." Justin said finally, and when Daniel gave him a skeptical look he shrugged. "I'm sorry, but that hair _so_ went out in the nineties unless you're wearing a lot of make-up and your band name is something hip and ironic.'

Daniel looked down at his shoes to hide a smile, and then rubbed one hand against the other, before looking at her seriously, "You can't see her being with Henry?"

"Of course I can. I can see them together, eating their ice cream and smiling at each like dopey third graders." Christina sighed. "And then I see Betty never being the writer she wanted. I see Henry losing weight and hair, battled between Charlie and Betty. I can see him being less of a parent, and Betty being less of a person. And I see them, never sayin' it, but always quietly blaming the other person for all of life's little failures. What kind of marriage is that?" She looked into Daniel's face, "I was there, Mr. Meade. And one day I just packed up my things, and I left. I don't want that for her."

Daniel felt his throat closing a little, and he spoke softly, "Neither do I."

A man walked in singing into the Closet, something soft and Spanish, making Christina suddenly let out a huff of exasperation. She pushed aside several garments to reveal Gio standing at her desk, whistling under his breath, looking at one of the dresses curiously. She shook her head, "Lookit him. I just want to take a pair of shears and _attack _him."

"You mean his hair?" Justin asked quizzically, his dark eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah, that too," She whistled sharply. "Yo! Sandwich Guy! Down here, genius."

Gio jumped a little, and then peered in through the clothes to where Christina was. "What the – what is that, your secret fashion clubhouse, McKinney?"

"Noo, that's behind the shoe wall." Christina rolled her eyes for the benefit of Daniel and Justin before standing up. The two of them followed suit.

Gio arched an eyebrow, "I don't even wanna know – that's fourteen dollars, McKinney. You must be hungry today."

She muttered something under her breath, something about 'two' as she dug into her wallet. Gio shook his head, looking over to Daniel and Justin. "Hey Mr. Meade, hey Justin. How's your Mom doing?"

Justin perked, giving the older man a smile. "She's doing fine. Her shop is doing really well, now that she's got some start up business." He arched an eyebrow, a little smile indicating he was waiting for the rest of the question.

"Well that's great! Your mom's got a good head on her shoulders – she's going to do really well." Gio paused, and pursued his lips. "And …how's your aunt?"

"She's out sick. Like, ugh, her entire head is made of snot, sick." Justin answered, making a disgusted face, before flashing another smile, "But I'll tell her you asked about her."

Gio's lips twitched, and he nodded silently. He took Christina's money, and smiled his goodbyes, without saying another word. Daniel, Justin, and Christina all exchanged a glance, before Christina whispered, "You see? That's what I'm talking about. Cagey! Cagey little … and _short_! With _floppy_ hair!"

"Justin? You know how I don't know anything about women?" Daniel said thoughtfully, as he pushed back his sleeve and looked at his watch. "Point of fact, I do in fact know a great deal about _men_ who are mad about certain _women_. Count it, ten, nine, eight…"

"Ohkay and counting down is proof of … what?" Justin asked, baffled.

"Trust the Jedi Master." Daniel murmured, as Christina and Justin peered at the open doorway, "Five, four, three, two …"

Gio reappeared, clearing his throat. "So, I know Ms. Meade wanted to put in some sandwiches orders. If you want to put yours in right now, Mr. Meade, I can stick around. Just, making things simple," He flashed a smile, tugging on his coat, "If that's cool."

"Perfectly cool, Gio. I'll be with you in a second." Daniel answered serenely. Gio nodded, and stuck his head back out of the doorway. Daniel held one finger for a pause from the silently questioning Justin and Christina.

.Gio poked his head back around the doorway a second later, looking sheepish, "You know, I make this _amazing_ chicken curry sandwich, clears the sinuses right up. I can send it home with you, Justin."

"Ah, sure! I mean, Aunt Betty would love it? She likes sandwiches?" Justin said slowly.

Gio's face burst into a smile, "Great! I'll just wait in the lobby for your order, Mr. Meade. Later, McKinney." He walked out of the room for the third time, whistling again.

Christina folded her arms over her chest, and Justin put one hand on his hip, both of them gaping at Daniel. He shrugged in answer, straightening his suit, replying in a wry tone "Men _cannot_ go ten seconds without trying to help with the problems of the women they love. Sometimes, we throw money at the problems, and other times, we throw sandwiches."

"You are good, Daniel Meade." Christina said with admiration. "Very, _very_ good."

"I have my moments." Daniel ran one hand through his hair. "Okay, so, what do we do now? Now that we know … all that we know."

Christina bit her bottom lip, and sighed as she shrugged. "I honestly _don't_ know." One corner of her mouth lifted, "But _I _suggest a haircut."

Daniel gave her a sideways look of 'you're a real help here', before he gestured for Justin to follow him out of the Closet and back into the hallways of _Mode_. He peered around, and found Gio at the elevator, eying Amanda as if she had grown another head. Which would be more preferable than her showing Gio what she could do with her apparently Gene Simmons inherited tongue.

Daniel snagged Justin by one arm, caught Gio by the other and dragged them both into the elevator, calling out over his shoulder sharply. "Get back to work Amanda!"

The door closed as Amanda was slipping her tongue back into her mouth into a glaring pout. All three of them leaned back against the walls of the elevator, and Gio said softly, "Do I even want to know _what_ that was about?"

"You really don't." Daniel affirmed, as he stared at Gio, with something close to dismay. Well, here he was - the future. Or more specifically, here was Betty's future. What the hell do you do with the future when the past is still buying Betty Gerber daises? If he was supposed to be Cupid, shouldn't he have some sort of magical arrow that would solve this entire problem?

"Mr. Meade … is there any reason why you're staring at me like _I'm_ about to do something weird with my tongue?" Gio asked flatly, bringing Daniel out of his daze.

Daniel let his mouth open, then close, when from on the other side Justin said firmly, "He thinks you ought to get a haircut, and frankly, put me in _total_ agreement."

"_I _should get a _haircut_." Gio said slowly, looking over to Justin with some disbelief. "Is this some sort of consensus vote?"

"Mr Rossi, seriously, I could poll this entire building and they will tell you grunge-hair flop does _not_ work on someone of your age." Justin said firmly, before he winced, "Sorry."

"Okay, pretending I didn't just hear that – is there any other particular reason I should be getting a haircut?" Gio looked downright caustic as he folded his leather clad arms over his chest, giving Daniel a pointed glare. "Or is this 'Freak Out Your Sandwich Provider Day' and I forgot to put it on the calendar?"

Daniel wondered if Cupid was always surrounded by as many suspicious people as he was. Still, best thing for this was to meet this problem head on and just … fire. Like any of Cupid's arrows. He squared his shoulders and looked right back at Gio. "Betty will like it."

Gio stared at him, eyes filled with disbelief, before he twisted around to meet an equally frank faced Justin. Daniel watched the other man's jaw work for a moment or two, before there was the hint of a dimple in the other man's smile. Gio took lock of hair between his fingers, and stared at it for a long moment, before he spoke simply, "Okay, so, how short are you thinking?"

Daniel smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

But of course, it was.

Betty was determinedly avoiding Gio for Henry's sake, and Gio himself was dealing with the influx of business that came from having nearly an entire building of hungry writers at his counter every day. There just wasn't any time to push the issue. Daniel himself was falling for Renee Slater, so he didn't have much of a clue what was going on these days, so much of his time was spent between the bedroom, the office, and glaring at Wilhemina whenever they crossed paths.

Other people would have despaired over their attempts of matchmaking going up in smoke, but not Daniel Meade. Mostly because he was just _too_ damned busy to notice.

So when it finally started to click, he wasn't even paying attention. Renee was angry with him for believing her sister that she had some dark secrets. He was trying to make amends, and Betty seemed to be filled with hints he just didn't have time to figure out.

That's of course when he got hit in the face that the time was now, the push was in, time to climb up from the dugout and hit the dirt, metaphors and all.

Why the call to battle came from Amanda and Marc, he didn't have a clue. He guessed it was Fate's way of bitchslapping him for being too self-involved.


	5. Part 5 Amanda & Marc

5

**5. Amanda & Marc**

"Amanda, do I have any messages – what are you eating?" Daniel stopped at the round reception desk, where Amanda sat in front of her computer with a piece of key lime pie, a candle forlornly sticking out of it. He panicked briefly, skimming through his mind, "It's not, ah, it's not your birthday, is it?"

Amanda arched a perfect eyebrow at him, as she licked a bit of whipped cream off her finger. "Please, if it was my birthday, you think I'd be here? No, this is Betty's, from _her_ birthday."

Daniel's panic deepened, and he frantically scanned his brain, hoping he remembered to get his assistant something early just in case he had forgotten. Like say, now. "_Betty's_ birthday? When was that?"

"Yesterday, or something. The little sandwich maker brought it by." Amanda said, shrugging. "Betty went to have dinner with her boyfriend, so he left it here. Well, after I stuck my finger in the whipped cream."

"_The __**Sandwich Guy**__ is back again? Mandy, you didn't tell me that! Dish woman, dish!" _Came the very familiar and effeminate tones of Marc St. James.

Daniel stared at the receptionist, before leaning over the high counter, trying to find the well-dressed little weasel. "What the – Amanda, Marc is not _allowed_ in the building, you _know_ that."

"Yeah, _duh_. I know that. Hence why we're video-chatting, Daniel." Amanda turned the screen of her computer around, and Daniel was treated a vision of Marc sitting in his amazingly decorated apartment, filing his nails.

Daniel felt a smirk come over his face, "Marc – glad to see you at a distance, and not in my bedroom, going through my underwear."

Marc choked a little, and offered Daniel a weak smile, "_You know I just can't resist you, you big, manly …man-person_." There was a pause before Marc managed to squeak out, "_So Mandy_, Sandwich Guy?"

Amanda was gaping at him, before she twisted her computer screen around, pointing one finger at Marc. "Seriously? We are so IMing this later. Anyways – so yes. He came in the other day with a very, very Brad Pitt buzz-cut …"

"Oooh_, strong choice. Still with the leather coat?" _ Marc's voice sounded eager, "_I should totally hate it, but I don't."_

"I know, right?" Amanda gushed, "Anyways, he came in with his cart and she was all – hello, avoidance! Like he seriously was wearing cheap polyesters. You know, like plaid fake-cotton."

Daniel rolled his eyes, snagging his messages from over the counter, fretting as he skimmed through them. God, he hoped he hadn't forgotten her birthday gift. Bad enough she came in to work – what was that about? Wasn't there something he had to remember about her and …

"…So then the piece of fine mathly ass leaves her this message like, 'Sorry, gotta bounce' and of course she's already run out of here like he's her last chance for a man, to the Pemberley Inn, and Sandwich Guy comes in with the pie and he's all, 'Did Betty get this?' So I say no and he heads off after her, or something. He is _so_ not even _trying_ to be subtle anymore." Amanda chattered at her screen behind him.

"_I know, right? He should just make her sandwiches that say_ 'I totally want to jump you with my grungy Lower Side hands'." Marc paused, "_Actually, that's kinda hot_."

Daniel came to a complete stop, slowly turned, and stared back at the receptionist desk. Without worrying for a moment about composure, he sped back to the counter. "Wait, what? Henry cancelled on Betty? She spent her birthday alone?"

"For real real, not for play play … what?" Amanda looked distractedly up at Daniel, "I guess? I mean, she went to dinner at the Pemberly Inn and Beanpole Hottie was a no show, because of Baby Trailer Trash Mama."

Daniel put both hands on the counter, cursing himself silently. He should have been there for her. He should have gotten his head out of his own ass, and did something so Betty wouldn't have had to think about spending her birthday on her own while Henry waited on Charlie, hand and foot.

"_Wait, you said the Pemberley Inn?"_ Marc said thoughtfully, "_Was Fat-ty wearing something that made her look like a gigantic lilac blob_?"

"What does she own that doesn't make her look like a blob?" Amanda paused, before her gleeful tone kicked in. "Why, did you see her? Was she wandering the streets alone? Like, totally broken down and weirding out like a crazy bag lady?"

"_Oh no, but I still am putting that down for one of my most _wanted_ TiVo's moments. No, no. See, I know one of the waiters there and we were doing half-cafs and dishing this morning? He totally spilled about this real fashionmare, who got all stood up at the Pemberley. Well, until some guy with a carriage came and rescued her – or kidnapped her for a horrible death, who knows?_" Marc's voice paused, and his voice went soft, "_Oh_, Mandy … _it's_ got _to be Sandwich Guy. Think about it, Grubber was off with his beachball baby-mama and he was _the only_ one who knew she was there_."

Amanda canted her head, a real smile working over her face, "That is like – _better_ than sex in the Pemberley bathroom." She folded her arms and looked Marc straight in his screened face, her voice quiet, "Marcy, I think I might tear up."

"_Mandy! No! Remember your perfect eyeliner_!" Marc squeaked.

Daniel looked skeptically from the top of the screen, and then to Mandy's scrunched up face. "You two honestly expect me to believe you care what happens in Betty's love life."

Amanda looked up, giving Daniel a sour look, and she wrenched the computer screen around so Daniel found himself getting glared at by Marc as well. The pretty blonde put one hand on her hip, her voice clipped, "Listen. Just because we pick on Betty, call her names to her face and behind her back, made all those prank calls to diet pill companies for her…"

"_Write_ _really dirty poetry about her in the bathroom, glued her to her chair that one time, once started a fake charity to save her under endangered Puerto Rican whales_…" Marc counted off on his fingers.

"All of that and _much_ more, _does_ not mean we do not root for that loser girl from Jackson Heights." Amanda held herself a little straighter, but there was a sparkle of sadness in her eyes. "After all, if she can do it – if she can find some roughneck foodmaker to love her, then, well. So can we."

"_Besides, if we don't point out the obvious to_ Metalgear, _she's totally going to miss her chance. And she's got to get that chance_." Marc sniffed, playing with his hands. "_For all of us_." He fluttered his fingers, "_And for all the losers_, obviously."

"Yeah, obviously.," Amanda said softly, twitching a little. "So, go be … judgy on Betty. Tell her punt the accountant to the curb … or in my direction," She gave a lazy, sexy smile, "And handle herself some Italian."

"_Oooh, nicely put, Mandy! I like it, it was saucy_!" Marc applauded, bouncing up and down a little.

Amanda's serious face fell into another gleeful look as she turned her screen back to her. "You really think so? I was going for that Gene Simmons sneer…"

Daniel quietly slipped away, leaving Amanda and Marc to their own devices, as much as he was leery to do so. They had given him a lot to think about, after all. Mostly of it was morose – he missed Betty's birthday and her present – wait, leather bound journal and really good pens! He let out a mental sigh of relief, before grimacing again. Small favors, that. The bigger problem was he hadn't really, well, done any matching. Hadn't pimped Gio – and man did that sound wrong. More to the point, he hadn't come up with any clever way to get them together – but if Marc and Amanda were right…

Betty was sitting at her desk, humming softly under her breath as she typed. She looked up as he approached and gave him a half-smile, "Good morning, Daniel."

"Good morning, Betty." He paused, and cleared his throat, "Happy, ah Belated Birthday."

Betty's smile turned from lukewarm to fully on. "You remembered." A glint of humor flashed in her eyes. "And only a day late this year – you're improving."

"Next year, I'm going to try for just before midnight." Daniel grinned back, his eyes assessing carefully, "So, how was it – I'm guessing the weekend trip fell through since you're here at work promptly on Monday morning?"

Betty sighed, "Yeah, Charlie is in town and ...and, well. So I said we could have a weekend in New York – dinner, fireworks, all that and … well, Charlie, again. So I ended up at dinner, alone, and never got the message from Henry that he wasn't going to make it."

Well, so much for that theory. He leaned against the doorway, his face infused with sympathy, "So it completely sucked."

To his surprise, she shook her head and tilted her head, a smile on her face. "No, not really. I mean, it wasn't great because I wasn't with Henry but … well, Gio really came through."

"Gio?" Or maybe, the theory still stood. He gestured for her to follow him inside her office, as he started to strip off his outer coat and put aside his briefcase. "What about him?"

"Well, he found out that Henry couldn't make it – so he got a horse and carriage from his uncle, and rode it all the way to the restaurant that I was at." Betty followed him, steno-pad in hand. She swung back and forth, a little smile on her face, "We talked, and I moped, but he told me all kind of funny stories with his horrible birthdays. Then he tried to race us to Central Park, so I could still see the fireworks? But the carriage wheel broke – I got my hot chocolate all over me. There was construction site, though, and all these beautiful sparks … just like fireworks. It was _really_ beautiful."

Daniel sat in his chair, keeping his expression carefully blank as he took in Betty's half dazed, half smiling expression. "Sounds like… well. Sounds like the perfect evening."

"Well, I mean, it wasn't with Henry, but it was still …_perfect_, in its own way." Betty's dazed expression faded into one of faint apprehension. "You don't think that, you know, it was wrong to hang out with Gio on my birthday, do you?"

Daniel put his eyes firmly on the file in front of him as he responded as blandly as possible, "I don't see why it would be – after all – you're just friends, right?"

"Right. Just friends. It's like seeing Christina as competition. Or you." Betty said slowly. Daniel looked up at that, arching an eyebrow, and she snorted. "Yes, _Daniel_. You, the _man-whore_ of _Manhattan_, are no threat to my relationship."

He cracked a half-smile, before easing back in his chair, "Well, if the 'man-whore of Manhattan' is no threat, I don't see how a good guy like Gio could be."

Betty worked the steno pad in her hands, looking thoughtful, before nodding her head. "You're right. Besides, Henry and I have so little time together, I shouldn't be worrying about what goes on between Gio and I." She paused, then stuttered, "Not that – anything is going on. At all."

"You're _just_ friends." Daniel repeated solemnly. He didn't bother to add on, 'which is usually how it starts'. Betty was well on her way on finding out herself.

"Yes. Friends. So, I can be friends with Henry, er, Gio. And still be with Henry." A pause. "Since it would upset Henry, Henry … doesn't have to know about Gio. Not for the small amount of time we've got. Because it's really nothing." Betty bit her bottom lip, "That sounds okay, right?"

Daniel cupped his hand over his chin, just in case he needed to cover a smile and said blandly. "It sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

Betty nodded her head, a smile flashing over her face. "Me too. So … I think for lunch we're going to order _Gio's_ today, and I'm going to sit down there, and talk to my _friend_. I will also get you your usual." She turned and flounced out of the room.

"Sounds great," Daniel started to smile, but quickly suppressed it when Betty leaned in through the doorway.

Gnawing on the bottom of her lip again, her fingers playing over the molding, she asked hesitantly. "Daniel, do you really think that Gio's a good guy?"

For this, Daniel figured complete honesty was the way to go. He sat up and folded his hands together on his desk, his blue eyes serious as he met her dark-brown ones. "Betty, Gio got you into a writing class. He pretended to be your fake boyfriend on a night where he was supposed to be with his little sister. He not only didn't press charges when you broke his window, he took you to the hospital besides. Add to that that he took care of you on your birthday, and my opinion is pretty much set. As your boss, and your friend, I'm _telling_ you. He's a _great_ guy."

Betty smiled, a tiny pleased flicker on the corner of her lips, before she straightened. "He is, isn't he? Okay, I'm going to put in our orders, then." She spun around, and he could hear her humming all the way back to her desk.

He finally grinned himself, rubbing his chin a little. There might be a time where Betty needed to be hit over the head with the fact that Gio was more than a friend, but it certainly wasn't going to be by him. As far as he could figure out, Cupid was quiet. Subtle. He gently nudged in the right direction with a slight tap of his arrow. He was kind of like the Assassin of Love.

Wait, that sounded… _bad._

He irritably waved a mental hand at the bad turn of phrase. The point was, when the time came, he would have led Betty to the right place at the right time. It was up for the heavy hammer of Fate to pound it into her skull.

Outside his office window, Amanda was at Betty's desk, leaning over it. Whatever she was saying was definitely making Betty make the, '_if I wasn't such a nice person I would __**clock**__ you'_ face.

Huh.

He suddenly had a _pretty_ good idea who would be wielding it.

So Betty started seeing more of Gio, Daniel kept his mouth shut about it, and things looked like they might actually turn out okay. Daniel wasn't one to get overly optimistic, but there seemed to be a causality of events that pretty much said this was the right path to be on.

That was when, rather appropriately, everything went to Hell.

Daniel found out about Renee's past, _all_ of it, in the most disturbing way ever when she tried to set Betty on fire. In retrospect, that insanity made Daniel feel even more ridiculous over thinking that Betty had feelings for him. He swallowed his hurt pride on the subject, think it best to have it left alone.

Top that all off with Charlie's continued stressful presence in Betty's life, and, well. Things were just getting more complicated by the moment. If there had ever been a time that Daniel was glad that he encouraged Gio's friendship with Betty, it was now. Even Henry lightened up about it – although Daniel had to wonder if the swelled nose Gio sported for a few days had something to do with it.

Still, it was nothing to when the bombshells began to fall.

Charlie's baby was born. Boom.

Daniel's half-brother conceived. Boom.

Wilhemena, with her hands on one third of the company. Boom.

Betty and Henry breaking up. Boom.

When Daniel found his feet under him again, it was two days after everything had broken all around him. He knew he was going to have to pick Betty back up, and she him. It was time to get to licking their wounds and trying to repair the damage, as best as they could. It wasn't going to be easy, and it was going to take time. Time with lawyers for him - time to mourn the passing of her relationship for her.

He knew this Cupid job was going to have its complications. Considering how things turned out, he wasn't even surprised that one of these turned out to be Henry.


	6. Part 6 Henry

6

**6. Henry**

The sun had gone down, and it was late for business hours. Not for New York, of course, but for _Mode_ the offices were empty. Daniel stood at his window, hands stuffed into his suit pockets as he stared out into the flickering lights of the city below. He, Alexis and their mother had spent hours yelling, crying (Claire and Alexis), and alternatively punching walls (himself … and Alexis) for over forty-eight hours over his father's supposed stupidity and Wilhemina's duplicity. Finally, both Claire and Alexis had gone home filled with exhaustion and rage, while Daniel remained behind, possessively stalking through his office. It _was_ still his office – he didn't care how Wilhemina tried to get her hands on it – he wasn't going to let it go without a fight.

He tried not to think what would happen if he lost that fight, but the possibility curled up in his gut solidly.

Finally, Daniel sighed and checked his watch. Nearly eight – he'd been standing at this window for a good forty-five minutes. His stomach rumbled in response to that thought and he smiled grimly to himself. Yes, it was time for a late dinner, maybe a beer.

He gathered up his things, and headed out to the elevator, nodding wearily at the janitor crew already in action. Hitting the down button and getting inside, he thought about going out to Queens and checking up on Betty – but decided against it. He'd give her a call instead, let her have her space. God knows after the Sofia mess he needed his own, even if it was just to get drunk and curl up inside his bedroom. He would just have to remember to drag her back out again into the light of civilization – with ice cream. Ice cream was important.

The bell 'dinged' when he hit the ground floor, and he stepped out into the long Meade building lobby. Two figures were standing by the main doors leading out and he suddenly stopped when he recognized them, slightly surprised to see them here so late. In retrospect though, it did make sense. Henry was leaving, so naturally he would come in and pack up his stuff. Hell, he more than likely making this his last stop, so he could avoid Betty altogether.

Standing with him, talking animatedly, was Kenny. Daniel stayed back for a moment, curiosity and a desire to avoid Kenny and his ridiculous 'G-talk' slowing his steps. Besides, it wasn't like you couldn't hear Kenny from a mile away anyways. The man's voice carried to New Jersey on a heavy traffic day.

Tonight wasn't any different, and it wasn't helped by the excellent acoustics in the Meade Building's lobby that carried Kenny's voice straight to Daniel's ears, "Yo, Hen-dawg, I am just sayin'. Your old lady is gonna be doin' the biz-nass with G-man!"

There was a weariness in Henry's voice, the sort of bone-tiredness that came from a very long, painful week. "He's got a _name_, Kenny."

"Homes, I know he's got a name, man! He's flipping G to the I to the O! And we need to cap his shorty-stealing ass, man! Gotta represent!" Kenny hit his chest and went with what he thought was an authentic gang sign, but just sort of looked like he had palsy.

Right, about time to step into this conversation. Daniel exhaled and moved forward, making sure he could be heard over Kenny's 'cap him' commentary. "Good evening, Henry." He gave Kenny a scimitar's smile. "Kenny."

God, Henry looked like a mess. Well, a mess for Henry. His clothes were still neat, and his hair combed, but it wasn't done with the usual care it was. Daniel couldn't be sure, but it looked like his shirt might have been buttoned up wrong, and there were circles under Henry's usually bright eyes. Henry himself managed a wane smile, as he hugged a cardboard box to his chest. "Mr. Meade."

Kenny went from hard gangster to innocent office work in ten seconds, muttering under his breath. "Mr. Meade. Ah, I'll go pull around the car, Henry." He scurried off, looking over his shoulder nervously at Daniel as he did so.

Henry let out a long, deep breath of relief, and looked at Daniel gratefully. "Thank _you._ If Kenny talked any more nonsense about Gio and drive-bys … I was going to _cap_ him."

"I wouldn't. It might encourage him." Daniel said, a half smile on his face, before he cleared his throat, "So, I heard the baby was born. How is he?"

For the first time, something close to the old Henry reappeared, and he beamed as he put down his box and dug into his wallet. "He is – great! Here, see a picture." He handed it over to Daniel, leaning over. "Nathan Patrick Grubstick – we're going with my last name – eight pounds and nine ounces."

"Wow, big guy." Daniel took the picture, looking at the little scrunched up red face. Babies continued to be a mystery to him – but they were awfully cute. Even when they looked like Winston Churchill. "Ignatio told me he was a whopper but I didn't believe it --"

He looked up at sobbing noise from Henry. He watched, surprised and dismayed while Henry put his fist to his mouth, choking down another sob. Finding Daniel's worried eyes on him, he blinked rapidly against bright eyes and spoke hoarsely, "I'm sorry – I just …"

"Henry, it's okay." Daniel put out one hand on the other man's shoulder gingerly. "Just take a deep breath, or _five_, and get ahold of yourself."

Henry inhaled, several times, before nodding his head jerkily to indicate he was all right. He sighed and adjusted his glasses, the words rough out of his mouth, "This leaving – leaving Betty …it's a lot harder than I realized."

"Breaking up should never be easy. At least with someone you care about." Renee's face flitted across his mind, and he felt the pang of sour regret again.

Henry jerked up his chin, his mouth compressing into a thin line. "I _know_ this is the right thing. I know Betty and I agreed this is what is best, for the both of us. But, but, but I _love_ her."

Daniel squeezed his shoulder again, before dropping his hand to side. His voice was filled to the brim with sympathy. "I know you do. But you have to let her go."

"Why?" Henry's face suddenly contorted. "Why can't we be together? Long distance would - I - or …" He trailed off, then sucked in a sharp breath, visably trying to get his emotions under control. He stared at Daniel, his brown eyes boring into the other man, like Daniel could keep him from drowning. "I just – I need to know _why_."

Daniel stared back, his jaw tightening. What was he supposed to say, that just wouldn't hurt Henry more? How the Hell do you answer an emotional question with a moral reply? It wasn't like he could say that Betty would be better off, that was time that she moved on with her life and not Henry's. It would be an insult, and beyond that, it would be too harsh of a truth. He swallowed, and his fingers convulsively closed a little around the picture still in his hand. He glanced down at it, involuntarily.

Something clicked.

He lifted it and faced it towards Henry, whose eyes finally left Daniel's and fixated on his small son's face. Daniel could see Henry's eyes grow bright with unshed tears.

After a moment, Daniel spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "This is why, Henry. This little life -- this tiny, precious guy right here in this picture. You made him, Henry. Half of him is _you. _Half of his smiles, his tears, half of who he is and who he will become - half of that will be your doing, and your responsibility. He _needs_ you – needs your patience and your love, your devotion and most importantly, your time. You keep telling Betty how you want to be a good father. Well, every good father I've known, and to note not one of them was mine – every last one of them put his kids first." He paused, and continued, his tone gentler, "Look at him, Henry. Look at him good and hard, and then tell me who is more important in your life right now, him -- or Betty?"

Henry swallowed, and held out his hand for the picture. Without a word, Daniel handed it back over. Henry looked at his son, and a slow smile worked past the pain in his expression, lighting up in his eyes. He exhaled, slowly, before looking up at Daniel with gratitude in his gaze. "He is. He's the most important thing. I can't believe – I can't believe how selfish I was being." He looked down at the picture again, his voice quiet. "Thank you, Daniel."

"Don't thank me." Daniel nodded towards the picture. "Thank him."

Henry exhaled, and nodded slowly, before he looked towards the front doors. "I should get going – Kenny's probably waiting outside in his ride."

"I'll get the door for you." Daniel offered, and off of Henry's nod, walked with him to the door. They were silent until they got outside on the street. Henry stopped dead, the blood draining from his face. Daniel followed his gaze, and winced in sympathy at seeing the still lighted windows of _Gio's Deli._

Henry swallowed, gripping the box a little tighter against his chest, as he spoke softly. "Do you think he'll treat her right?"

Daniel was quiet for a moment, before looking over at the other man. "Does it really matter to you, what I think?"

Henry nodded his head, before looking at him again, the lights glinting off his glasses a little. "I know you'd never let anything bad happen to Betty, if you could help it."

Daniel sighed, his expression pensive as he considered his answer once more. "…He's never going to hold her back, but he is always going to be there to catch her, if she fails." One corner of his mouth lifted up. "But all of this is moot, because who really knows how Betty feels about him. Don't dwell on it, Henry. Focus on your future, not Gio's." And not Betty's.

"Yes, you're right." Henry turned back towards the street, a sad little smile on his face, before he straightened, just as Kenny's car, a rather not-so-pimp Hybrid, pulled up in front. Henry put the box in the backseat, closed the door and then offered his hand to Daniel. "It was a pleasure, knowing you, Mr. Meade."

Daniel smiled and took the accountant's hand. "You too, Mr. Grubstick. Enjoy your son."

"I will. Absolutely and completely. He's my life now." Henry smiled back, but paused before he got into the car, his expression serious. "Take care of our Betty?"

"I promise I will." Daniel intoned solemnly. He stepped back onto the curb and waved Henry off, as the car pulled away. The Towncar pulled in front of him – apparently his driver had seen him talking to Henry and decided to pull around the block to give him a minute. He smiled and moved to open the door, when sudden movement caught his eye.

Gio was standing at his window, his expression unreadable. Daniel raised his hand to him, and Gio smiled back briefly and waved, pushing open the door to call out. "That was Henry, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, he was getting the last of his things from his office." Daniel leaned on the door to the car. "I think he's off to Tucson, now."

Gio nodded, his mouth twisting into an ironical little smirk. "So, any famous last words from Egg Salad?"

Daniel wasn't surprised that Gio already knew that Henry was leaving. He wonder who spilled first – Justin or Hilda. Probably both. He rested one arm on the top of the door, giving Gio a long, measured look before he said seriously. "He asked me to take care of our Betty."

"Ah." Gio nodded, his fingers playing together for a moment, fidgeting a little. "Well, that's good. That he cares that much for her. Good, you know, that you're looking out for her."

"Yes, it is." Daniel said simply, and he climbed into the car. He gestured for the driver to start the car, so he could roll down the window. He leaned his head out, raising his voice to be heard over the engine. "So, it looks like we've both got our work cut out for us."

Gio looked at him quizzically, "We do? Why's that?"

"Because Gio - she's our Betty now." He rolled up the window on Gio's stunned but pleased face, and found himself smiling, if only for a moment, before he gestured the driver to move on. He had no idea what tomorrow would bring – Wilhemina Slater was back in their lives and could never be good – but with this chapter closed, maybe what came next would have a hint of happily ever after.

Or, at least as close as you could get.

So two weeks passed. Betty mourned, sobbed, and moped all over the front of the office. Daniel fought with lawyers, with the law, lost, and realized grimly that in the fight over Editor in Chief of _Mode_, it was just beginning, and he was horribly outmatched.

Two weeks of tissues, cursing, and a lot of take-out sandwiches. Daniel found the distraction of getting to know Gio better helped distract him from his terror of losing his job to the woman who nearly destroyed her family and seemed destined to try again. Besides, it was nice talking with someone who actually knew about sports.

Mostly though, he liked watching the slow change in Betty. Less tears, more smiles. Less time spent moping and more time spent yelling at Gio over a variety of offenses. Time spent not wrapped in bed, but late nights sitting in his office, giggling over Gio's stories about the shop for the day. It started to become a habit, seeing Gio in the morning and right before they all called it quits for the night.

Daniel kept quiet, ate his sandwiches and smiled behind his bottled water over the looks Gio snuck Betty. He smiled even wider at the looks Betty sneaked when she thought Gio wasn't. This was how it happened, after all. All on it's own, without real pushing from anyone. Daniel was getting more success than his mother and sister by not doing anything at all. Well, besides paying for the food, but that was really just a bonus.

Two weeks was a long time, and no time at all. Therefore, Daniel was not surprised over what happened the bright Saturday morning, fifteen days later.

Well, not entirely, at any rate.

Daniel was learning you never really knew what to expect from Gio Rossi.


	7. Part 7 Gio

7

**7. Gio**

The knocking on the door pulled Daniel away from a very good dream involving chocolate syrup and Rosario Dawson, and it was with much regret that he dragged himself away to consciousness. He sat up abruptly, eyes squinting, as he noted that the sun seemed awfully bright and perky. His eyes flickered to the clock – seven in the morning? Oh God, no. Way, way too early for – whatever this was.

He nearly dropped back down on the bed, but the knocking picked up again, a little harder and a little more erratic. He scowled, cursed, and yelled as he struggled out of his 300-thread count sheets, "I. Am. COMING!"

The knocking abruptly stopped, and he gave a grunt of satisfaction as he shoved on his robe and padded towards the front door. He stopped only briefly to glare at his image in the hallway mirror – half of his hair looked like he had stuck his finger in a light socket and the other half looked like he slicked it down with Vaseline.

There was another rapid fire of knocking, but more hesitant, and Daniel turned his scowl from the mirror to the door. He marched over to it, and bellowed, "Whatever It Is, It Had Better Be On FIRE …" He trailed off abruptly, staring at the dark-haired young woman dressed in casual sweats and a kitten t-shirt, before saying quizzically, "_Betty_?"

Betty turned towards him, her eyes wide behind her red glasses and her tone nervous and rapid, as she gave him a smile that was all flash and tension, "Good morning Daniel! I thought we'd get started early this week! Gotta get the jump on Wilhemina, right? Of course, right!" She had a paper bag in her hand, and out of it she pulled a bagel, "See, I even brought breakfast!"

Daniel just stared at her for a long moment, before he said slowly, "Betty, it's Saturday. We don't work on Saturday, unless we have to. And we don't."

He never thought there would be a moment where Betty's entire face twitched, but apparently he was wrong. Her voice hit that slightly high-frequency squeak when she was feeling it overwhelmed, as she moved past him into the apartment. "Well, we could just eat. Yes. Just eat." She shoved the bagel into his slightly agape mouth. "Here, eat!"

"Betty, what in the name of Hell is going on?" Daniel said. Or at any rate, tried to say, but it was a little difficult with an entire bagel in your mouth. What came out was more like questioning '_mmm_' noise.

"Or I could always clean your apartment! Or organize your DVD's? Just something to keep me busy while you get dressed." Betty moved a few steps towards the kitchen, then over to the television, and finally she stopped in the middle of the room, putting both of her hands in her hair. She looked dangerously close to breaking. "Or I could just have a _massive panic attack_ right here in your living room?!"

Daniel shook his head, starting to feel a little panicked himself as he 'mmm'd quite emphatically that he didn't want her to have a panic attack, but instead wanted her to tell him what exactly was up, with hand gestures.

Betty somehow understood this, because she nodded her head a few times, before she began to speak, "Well, you see, I was trying to do something for my article and get the youth perspective so I went to Justin's junior high school dance and, and _Gio _wasthereandheKissedMetodayandIlikeditohgodanywayswewereboththereandfirstIignoredhimbutthenIneededhishelpandhedidandthenheaskedmetodanceandwedidbutIgotscaredbecauseIlikeditsomuchandthenIranawaybecauseI'maBigCowardandhefollowedandwetalkedandhewassoSweetandUnderstandingthenwestolemyCitzenshipTrophywhichhasaMexicanAccentandIgotexpelledandthenIaskedhimoutandhesaidnoandwhenIaskedwhyhesaidhedidn'twanttobetheReboundGuy – he _wants_ to be _The Guy_."

"MMm?" Daniel huffed through his nose and pulled the slightly soggy bagel out his mouth. "He wants to be the guy? The guy of what?"

Betty dropped her hands to her sides, giving Daniel an exasperated look. "You know – The Guy. _My_ Guy. He wants to be … mine."

"Ah, okay." Daniel nodded his head slowly, as he walked towards the kitchen, bagel in tow. "So …_how_ is that bad?"

"Daniel!" Betty sputtered, throwing her hands up, "I just got out of a relationship!"

Daniel had picked up a bread knife, and he half turned towards her, arching an eyebrow as he walked to his cutting board. "Didn't you just say that _you_ asked _him_ out?"

Betty's exasperation melted away into sudden nervousness, as she stood in the doorway. "Y – yes."

"Huh. And didn't you just say that _he_ kissed _you_, and you liked that?" Daniel asked, as he sliced his bagel neatly in half and went to the toaster.

"Yes, and well, I _might_ have kissed him back. A little! I did not 'French him good', I don't care what he says! Really, who _does_ call it Frenching?" Betty sparked again, before flushing bright red, "Anyways, yes."

Daniel popped the bagel in the toaster, and moved towards the espresso machine to turn it on. "All right, and he asked you to dance, and you apparently really liked _that_."

Betty folded her arms over her chest, a clear sign that she was upset and angry, although at who, Daniel wasn't quite sure. "Yes. I did." She relented a little. "He's a great dancer."

Daniel leaned against the counter, counting off with his fingers. "So – he kissed you, you danced together later on that night, and then you asked him out and he said no, because he doesn't want to be the rebound guy, but The Guy." He held out his hands in a helpless gesture. "Betty, it pretty much sounds like you've gotten past that 'I was just in a relationship' excuse. You're going to have to give me a more concrete one."

Betty's arms dropped to her sides and she groaned as she turned on her heel, walking into the living room. "I know, I _know. _I just – I'm still sad but at the same time I'm really happy? And Gio says I shouldn't try to be _anything_, but just _be_ and you know what? Me being is Me being confused!" She stopped, and sighed, pushing up her glasses. "No, I'm not confused. I just … I didn't think Hilda was _right_."

"What exactly was Hilda right about?" Daniel went into his cupboard, nodding his head towards the toaster. "Toaster's all yours – do you have lox or cream cheese?"

After a moment he heard Betty shuffling into the kitchen, sighing as she picked up the bread knife to cut her own bagel. "I've got both, and … Hilda said you couldn't help who you had feelings for, no matter how bad the timing. That sometimes, you could be in love with two people at once."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully, as he slid two plates down to her, one for his bagel, and one for hers. He tilted his head towards her, one corner of his mouth twisting up, "Well, Betty, I hate to put it this way, but _duh_."

"Yeah - Wait, _what_?" She stopped with her knife in mid-air. "What _duh_? Why are you _duh'ing_ me?"

"Like I said yesterday – I'm sort of obtuse when it comes to the every day, but even I can see this." He canted his head. "Betty, I've known you've liked Gio for some time now. In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone at _Mode_ does – Amanda's LOLCats macro aside. In fact, I think the only person who didn't get that – was you."

Betty stared at him for a moment, and he wisely removed the bread knife from her hand before she sliced her own finger off. She shook her head for a moment, before pressing her glasses up her nose. "You know – I thought yesterday, when _Marc _and _Amanda_ pointed out to me that Gio had feelings for me that _that_ would be the height of my clueless streak? _This_? This tops that. With toppings."

"Kind of a smack in the face." Daniel agreed with sympathy, before he added with a mock-cheery note, "You know, like being woken up at 7 in the morning!"

Betty winced, as she took the bread knife back to cut the bagel in half. "I'm sorry. I just. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't wake Hilda because Hilda's still as sick as a dog and Christina's got her own monster-sized issues right now and Gio … Well. _Gio_."

"Right. Gio." He shrugged philosophically, "It's all right. I'm glad you came to me, instead of having a panic-attack somewhere else. Besides, bagels."

He beamed at her as he smeared his, and she beamed back, as she put hers into the toaster. He took his first bite, as Betty asked cautiously, "So, what do you think?"

He chewed for a moment, glad to have a moment to gather his thoughts. "I think … that we should finish our bagels, do some Wilhemina brain-storming for about an hour, and then you go home and figure out just _who_ you want Gio to be."

One side of Betty's mouth lifted, flashing braces. "No easy answer from the great guru of dating?"

"Just one. If you go banging on Gio's door this early in the morning to give him your answer, you might not want to wear the kitten t-shirt." Daniel said, as he got out the orange juice for Betty, and got his espresso.

"There is nothing wrong with this shirt, Daniel!" Betty said, exasperation overcoming her panic.

"Only if you want everyone to think Gio is picking up a twelve-year-old, ow!" He grinned as Betty punched him in the shoulder.

They moved onto Wilhemina and brainstorming for advertising at that point, but after Betty had left, Daniel found himself mulling over the problem himself. Well, it wasn't so much a problem as a surprising new twist. He didn't think Gio would make his move this soon. Of course, considering the fact that Gio had been waiting around while Betty faced off with Henry's personal problems for – what was it, six months? You could look at it from the point of view that he'd been waiting around longer than one would think humanly possible.

Still, it was curious. Daniel would love to know what the hell prompted the move for Gio to declare himself…

He eyed the clock. He noted that he had, in fact, had breakfast at seven in the morning and it was coming along towards eleven now. If he left in the next half an hour, there would be nothing at all suspicious about getting lunch. No, not in the slightest. Hmm.

He was dressed in a pair of hip Gap jeans and a light coat and out the door in twenty minutes and found himself at the door of _Gio's_ in another ten. He pushed open the door, jangling the little bell. At the noise, Gio popped his head out from the back. He spotted Daniel, and then checked his leather-band watch, his voice dry, "Wow, you're prompt. I didn't think you'd be here for at least another hour or two."

"You were expecting me?" Daniel asked, surprise filling his voice as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"There were a couple of people Betty could have told about last night, and of the guys … Justin can't get down here without a ride, Ignatio is going to be taking me on his turf, and then there's … Marc? Yeah, like that'll happen." Gio smirked, as he wiped his hands on his apron. "You, however, would have no problem coming in here after you found out and talking to me directly, which must have been pre-tty early in the day."

"Seven. In the morning." Daniel said wryly. "You're lucky she had bagels."

Gio's eyebrows climbed his forehead. "Seven. In the _morning_." A slow smile slid over his face. "Huh." He kept smiling, as he nodded towards the counter. "Take a seat, Daniel. I'll make you a sandwich so good it'll knock the product out of your hair."

Daniel gave Gio a look, as he sat himself on the stool at the front counter. "Are you trying to bribe information out of me with a delicious sandwich?"

Gio looked over his shoulder from where he was selecting the bread. "Is it working?"

Daniel smiled big, as he grabbed a bag of chips. "Not in the slightest. Extra mustard, please."

Gio snickered. "You got it." There was a pause, before he asked casually. "So, could I just ask straight out?"

Daniel methodically opened the chips, taking one out, munching on it thoughtfully. "You could try that. I promise nothing, though."

Gio nodded his head, and went to the prep table, and started slicing up some turkey. He kept his head down, and his voice quiet. "Was she pissed off?"

Daniel frowned thoughtfully, before he munched on another chip. "Not … really? She was pretty fierce on the fact that she didn't French you. No, wait, I take that back. Didn't French you _good_."

Gio outright snorted on that one, before he glanced at Daniel again. "Was she crying?"

"She was not crying." Daniel affirmed. "She was kind of freaked out, but she at no point needed a tissue or chocolate."

"Freaked out bad, or freaked out good?" Gio stopped what he was doing, looking at Daniel intently.

Daniel stopped eating chips long enough to give Gio another Look. "Dude, seriously. I am not about to go to Betty carrying a note, 'Do you like Gio – mark a box Yes or No'. This is not junior high, and we are not _girls."_

Gio made a frustrated noise, before he started cutting up meat again, "I know, I _know_. But I put it all out there, and I sort of want to know where she is right now."

Daniel felt sympathetic – there really was nothing worse than putting it all out there for a woman and not knowing how she felt. It left you feeling naked, in a way. "I can tell you this much, when I last talked to her, she was giving you serious thought."

One corner of Gio's mouth lifted. "Yeah, that sounds like a Suarez way to go. Christ, I had to fall for a girl with a _brain_. I think I liked it better when she slapped me for kissing her – at least that was a visceral response. I don't like waiting, makes me edgy."

"When I get edgy I usually have sex." Daniel said nonchalantly, wincing automatically as Gio glared at him, "Ah, right. Sorry."

Gio went to the cheese slicer, giving him a sideways look while he did so, and shook his head. "She was right. You really _are_ a manwhore. That makes this even weirder."

"Just because I have healthy libido … makes what weirder?" Daniel got up to get himself an iced tea, frowning at the last.

"You know, that you're here to give The Shovel Talk." Gio said, raising his voice to be heard over the slicer.

"The Shovel Talk?" Daniel turned back, blinking with confusion. "What the Hell is the Shovel Talk?"

Gio turned around, arching an eyebrow at Daniel. "The Shovel Talk. When the men in the family of the woman you're interested in say to you, 'You know, I've got a shovel, a .45 … and a big backyard.'"

"Aaaaah, yes. I seem to recall having quite a few conversations like that when I was younger." Daniel flopped down on the stool, philosophical. "Well, I don't own a gun, and I live in a loft so I really don't have a backyard, hence also why I don't have a shovel." He gave Gio a smile that never reached his eyes. "What I _do_ have is a mother who beat a murder rap, who _also_ knows her way around brake lines, and is _very_ fond of Betty."

Gio stared at him for a long moment, looking faintly horrified, before shaking his head as if to clear it. "Ri-ght. Well. For _some _reason the Meade family seems a lot scarier right now than a .45."

"We get that a lot… so if we're having this discussion – can I ask what you were thinking, declaring yourself in this way?" Daniel paused, and arched an eyebrow. "Or more specifically, just what _are_ your intentions towards our Betty, Mr. Rossi?"

Gio's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You know, I've kicked men's teeth in for less than what you're implying." Daniel's eye opened wide at that, and Gio leaned on his counter, jabbing one angry finger in Daniel's direction, "Oh Hell Yeah. In my neighborhood, that's pretty much permission to kick your rich boy ass."

"Hm. You are going to kick _my_ ass for saying you might do anything to Betty that would hurt her." Daniel smiled, and this one was much warmer. "I think you just answered my question for me – agh!" A pickle slice was thrown at his head, and he ducked, just to have another one thrown in his face. "Okay, seriously, pickles up my nose?"

"You're lucky that's all that's going up your nose." Gio snorted, pulling on plastic gloves, his expression still angry, but curiosity was sneaking in. "You really are looking out for her, aren't you?"

Daniel had been reaching for another chip when Gio put forth his question, and he took his hand out of the bag. Gio hit a definite nerve, so it took a moment for Daniel to come up with an answer. He spoke slowly, and thoughtfully. "I've never had the best relationship, with my family. I mean, my mother loves me, and I love her – but my father was never a very affectionate man and Alexis – well Alexis and I have plenty of history and a lot of it isn't really fraternal. I never really knew what a real family was, until I met Betty. She invited me into her home, and her family invited me into their lives." He tapped his fingertips against the counter, smiling softly. "I mean, I've got my own stocking on the Christmas tree, and open invitation to dinner, whenever I need it."

Gio slowly nodded his head, his gaze filled with understanding. "You're family."

"I'm family. Probably as close to an older brother as Betty is going to get, and she's the sister I would have most wanted." Daniel replied quietly. "So, you're going to have to forgive me the 'rich boy' impertinence. I just had to be sure that she'll be loved, the way she deserves."

Gio's face shifted into an expression that was almost painful for Daniel to look at, it was so naked with emotion. Love, longing, mixed in with wistfulness and a dash of just pure hellish pain. He briefly wondered if this was the face that Alexis had seen, so many months ago. The other man's voice was soft, but intent. "All I want is for her to realize her dreams as reality." He looked down, his lips quirking. "And yeah, I'll admit it. I want to be one of them."

Daniel stared at him, before propping his head on his fist. "You really are The Guy, aren't you?"

"I hope so." Gio put the sandwich in front of Daniel with a flourish. "I can't comp you sandwiches, otherwise."

Daniel dug in, savoring his club sandwich. He chewed, swallowed, and sighed happily. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the Jake Ryan of Guys."

"Jake Ryan? _Sixteen Candles_ Jake Ryan? Huh, impressive. Not only am I cool, but I have a sweet house and I get my Samantha to boot." Gio folded his arms over his chest, his bracelet glinting off the shop's lights, a small, evil grin flickering over his face. "Does this make Egg Salad Farmer Ted?"

Daniel gave Gio a skeptical look. "Depends, do you want him to wreck your dad's car and steal your hot ex-girlfriend?"

Gio pursued his lips, making a face. "Good point. Okay. You can be Farmer Ted."

"_What_?? Oh Hell No. I am way too cool to be Farmer Ted." Daniel paused, "Just … _how_ hot is your ex?"

"My last? Smoking hot. Jessica Alba hot." Gio confirmed, before he winced a little, "Bit of a fidelity problem, though. She's prone to philandering."

"Well, considering the fact my last two serious girlfriends either wanted to use me for boosting their magazine sales or in fact were crazy enough to try and burn my assistant alive …" Daniel took another bite of his sandwich, swallowed, and continued, "Cheating sounds like a refreshing change."

Gio snorted a laugh, before he looked curiously at Daniel. He gestured one hand between the two of them, "Are we… becoming friends?"

"I think so? Which is good, because I need more people to discuss football with, instead of French cuffs," Daniel smirked, and took a drink of iced tea, "Besides, this means you can teach me all your smooth lines."

"Smooth lines? I don't have smooth lines. I'm a fan of Phil Roth, but that's less smooth and more devious." Gio got a wet towel and started wiping down his work station.

"I don't know – 'I don't want to be the rebound guy, I want to be The Guy' sounds pretty smooth to me. Jake Ryan smooth. You could have a real future in John Hughes films." Daniel pointed a potato chip at him.

"Man, shut _up_." Gio rolled his eyes, as he scrubbed. "That was _not_ a line."

"Yeah? What was it then? A cleverly worded turn of phrase?" Daniel asked, a wry smile quirking the edges of his mouth.

"No." Gio stopped cleaning, looking down at his counter intently, before he glanced up at Daniel, "It was a truth. An _absolute_ truth. I want her, but I want free and clear of any residual Henry, her. I'm not the consolation prize – I'm the guy who is going to push her harder, support her no matter what, and love her more than any other man. _Ever_." He flipped the towel over his shoulder, his chin up. "All she's got to say is 'yes'."

"Jesus." Daniel said quietly, before he slowly smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Now I kinda want to date you."

Gio stopped, stared at him disbelievingly, and then he picked up another pickle slice to toss at Daniel's head. "Rich Boy, you are _screaming_ for a trouncing. Curb stomp style."

Daniel batted it away, sniggering, He turned his head away so he wouldn't get smacked with another pickle in the face, and caught view of someone at the door. He twisted a little further around, squinting. Yep, he wasn't mistaken. Betty was standing at the door, her arms folded over her chest, her expression filled with bemusement. He waved at her, and she arched an eyebrow, waving back.

She pushed open the door, letting it jingle, giving them both a quizzical look. Daniel thought to himself as she started to speak, that he was very glad she had taken his advice on not wearing the kitten t-shirt. "Hi …Daniel, Hi …Gio."

"Hey Betty!" Daniel smiled as charmingly as he could, before crunching on another chip.

"Hello, Suarez." Gio answered, and Daniel tried not to grin as the other man's voice dropped a whole octave.

Betty turned slightly pink, then smiled, her look still confused and now a little worried, "So, I was – I came – what are you two talking about?"

"Oh, well, I'm Jake Ryan." Gio pointed to himself, then over to Daniel. "And he's Farmer Ted."

"Oh." Betty's expression seemed thoughtful, and then she crinkled up her nose. "This doesn't make me the girl in the neck brace, does it?"

"Ah, heh." Gio chuckled, grinning so wide that his dimples flashed. "Not exactly."

"Oh?" Betty blinked, finally catching on. "OH!" She eyed Daniel, "Ew?"

Daniel suddenly recalled the plot of the movie himself, and pointed a finger at Betty. _"Hey_, I'm just in this for the hot ex-girlfriend and the cool car."

Betty rolled her eyes, as she came to sit next to him at the counter. "Of course you are – wait, there's a hot ex-girlfriend?" She glared at Gio, "You never said there was a hot ex-girlfriend."

Gio's smile turned smug, as he leaned on the counter, closer to Betty, "Why B, you sound _downright_ jealous."

"Well – I – Maybe I am." Betty sniffed, straightening her skirt, a sure nervous sign. She glanced over at Daniel pleadingly, "Uhm, Daniel, I kind of wanted to talk to Gio, ah, alone?"

Daniel nodded his head, as he grabbed up his plate and drink, then looked at his full hands, flummoxed. "I'll just – ah – I'll just eat outside?" He looked down at his full hands again, feeling sheepish. "If someone can open the door?"

Betty looked at him with her affectionate 'Oh Daniel' face, and gestured to the table, her voice gently wry. "Or you could just move over there?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "I could do that. Yes. Pardon me." He gathered up all his things, and sat down at the small table, facing away from them. He was not going to eavesdrop. He was not going to eavesdrop, he told himself. It was time for the two of them to have a little privacy, to figure out their … whatever this was. He was not listening. Nope. Not even a little bit.

His back was kind of stiff, though. Maybe if he just … leaned backwards a little bit…

"…and you're right, I just need to Be. But being, means, well. It means I'm not ready for a relationship. Yet. Please note the Yet, it is important." Betty breathed in, and Daniel could almost see her face, preparing herself to continue.

He listened to Gio sigh, filled with exasperation and fondness. "You really make this much harder than it needs to be, Suarez."

"Oh yeah? Well you tell me, Gio. How simple does it have to be?" Betty sounded equally exasperated, and maybe she wouldn't admit it, but Daniel would swear he could hear her smile in her voice.

You know, if he leaned back a little more, he could catch their reflection in the refrigerator…

Gio was now leaning on the side of the counter, just perpendicular to Betty, and he closed the distance between them to mere inches. Daniel really had to strain to hear, "Admit you like me."

"_What_? Gio … be serious." Daniel fought a laugh as Betty fidgeted on her stool, her head turning away from Gio abruptly.

"I _am _serious. Admit you like me." Daniel squinted, was he running his fingers up her arm? Hah, and Gio said he wasn't smooth.

"All right, fine, I like you." Betty huffed out, but it sounded a little more breathless than before, and she still didn't look in his direction.

"A little less grudgingly, please, a man can only take so many stabs to his ego." Gio's voice was wry.

Daniel watched as Betty's profile moved towards Gio's, and she spoke softly and sincerely. "I like you." She paused, and added so softly that Daniel went up on two chair legs to hear. "A lot."

"Then that's all we need right now. Everything else … will come naturally." Gio's fingers danced along her wrist, "And you'll let me know, when I can ask you out?"

"I will." Daniel smiled when Betty did, noting the lift of her eyebrow , "So… do you like me?"

"Betty, if I have not made that perfectly obvious by now, I must be doing something wrong." Gio retorted, before he said with more feeling. "I _like_ you."

"I know you do." Her reflection leaned closer, "I just like hearing you say it – Daniel, if you lean any further back in that chair – I swear …"

Caught out like a guilty kid with his hand in the cookie jar, Daniel jerked his body a little too suddenly and the chair tipped backwards, with him thudding his head solidly against Gio's tiled floor. He closed his eyes, wincing as he said quietly, "Ouch."

He opened his eyes to find Betty and Gio's faces inverted above him, and he offered them a weak smile. Gio and Betty looked at each other, then back at him, and Gio sighed. "Definitely Farmer Ted. I'll get him an ice pack. Check to see if he's got any _more_ brain damage."

Betty shook her head as she knelt by Daniel, gently prodding his head, and then helped him sit up. "Well, I certainly hope the possible concussion was worth eavesdropping."

Daniel put his hand to the back of his head, taking in the bright look that had taken over Betty's eyes. Somewhere in the back, he could hear Gio singing, horribly off-key. Cupid himself couldn't have done better, and Daniel didn't even need the arrows.

One side of his mouth lifted up, then the other, and he nodded his head, once and firmly at that. "Yes. Totally worth it."

That should have been the end of it. There should have been awkward months of Betty getting over Henry, and letting Gio into her life. Daniel should have had more time to defend his job, and to defend his life choices, as well.

Life wasn't like that, though, and things got so unbelievably complicated for Daniel that Betty's own problems kind of got swept under the rug. He was a father himself, now, and now it was his turn to put his son before his best friend. The only advice he could give her was that he couldn't give her advice at all.

He gave her the tickets to Rome, told her it wouldn't be _Mode_ without her, and prayed she'd make the right decision on her own. Except he didn't even know what that was - Rome or Tucson, Henry or Gio. Well, okay, he had his opinions about it, but in the end this was her choice.

Her decision, on which way to jump.

He shouldn't have forgotten that being Cupid, even a reluctant one, was not a job that you could put aside. It all came down on his doorstep, and he had a choice of his own to make. He could thrust it all away and wrap himself selfishly into his own issues with fatherhood, or be the kind of friend Betty deserved.

It came around full circle, and here he was, with his door open as he stood baffled, and quietly blaming Alexis for bringing all these problems down on his head.


	8. Part 8 Betty

8

**8. Betty**

_Morning just seems to be the time for these conversations_, Daniel thought himself ruefully. Inside, Daniel Jr. slept sounding in Daniel's bed. In the kitchen, coffee brewed. In the living room, the Fashion Channel was blaring. Life was finding a new routine for Daniel to follow, and he wasn't quite caught up with it yet. After all, it was exactly one day after Daniel accepted Daniel Jr. as his son and got fired to boot.

It was way too complicated of a day to find himself faced by a miserable, short Italian at his front door.

Daniel stood in his doorway, staring at the man standing there, looking all the world like a dejected puppy, and could only stupidly ask the obvious, "Gio?"

Gio looked up from the direction of his floor, looked somewhere close to Daniel's shoulders. "Hey, man. I, ah. Uh."

Daniel pressed his lips together. "She's not here, Gio, if that's why you came by."

Gio shook his head, rubbing his shaved head nervously. "No, I know she's not. I just … I needed somewhere to go. I'm too distracted in the shop, I keep watching my phone if I'm at home."

Daniel looked hard at the other man, and then into his loft. He could smell the coffee brewing. He knew Daniel Jr. would probably be asleep for at least another hour. _You're a father now. Shouldn't you just be worried about your son?_ But then the thought came, _Yes, your father did that. Did anything to protect his family. Look what happened there. _There had to be a balance, in things.

Maybe you couldn't be an ardent lover and a real father, at least not starting out, but you could always be a good friend. Daniel's face relaxed into a smile, and he stepped back, "Well, don't stand out there all day. Come on in. We just have to keep it down – Daniel Jr. is still sleeping."

The grateful look on Gio's face made Daniel want to punch Henry in the nose for coming back. If he found out Kenny had invited him to the game, he was going to make that pseudo G's life a pure living _Hell_. After all, he still controlled one third of Meade Publications. He'd find a way.

Gio kept his voice down as he entered, his hands shoved into his leather jacket. "I really appreciate this."

Daniel waved off the thanks, taking them into the kitchen, "Hey, I get it. Distraction is good. Coffee's fresh, so help yourself." He opened the fridge, and got out the creamer, looking longingly at the beer.

Gio came up beside him, and he heard the other man sigh. "It does seem like the day for early brews, doesn't it?"

"No kidding." Daniel paused, figuring a little honesty might go a long way. He handed Gio the creamer. "Listen, I'm sorry … about not telling you that Henry was in town. Or about the proposal, either. I just thought – I thought she told you, already."

Gio shrugged, his shoulders tightening with his voice as he poured it into his coffee. "S'all right. How were you to know? Trust me, I'm _really_ angry at certain people right now, but you're not on my short list, Daniel."

"But, you _are _angry at Betty." Daniel said quietly, observing how the other man tightened in on himself a little more.

"Anger is one emotion I'm feeling right now." Gio sipped his coffee, staring off in the distance. "I don't think I can go into the others, until I see her."

Daniel nodded his head, before going over to look in his fridge. "You … want something to eat? I don't really cook much – so I'm kind of lost. However, I do know we have cereal. Capt'n Crunch, Coco Puffs, Special K…"

He looked back to see Gio giving him something close to a pitying look. Gio looked to the sky, and said quietly, "I get it. The price for a little serenity is to keep him and the kid from starving from malnutrition. Thanks for the clue-by-four, Big Guy." He nudged Daniel away from the fridge and eyed its contents. "Right. You've got the makings of really good omelets in here. All I need is a good skillet, and a cutting board." He paused, arching an eyebrow at Daniel, "You know what a skillet is, right?"

"Yes." Daniel said, a little resentfully, as he went to his stove. "It's the flat, iron pan that I'm going to connect with the side of your head, _smartass_."

He felt a rush of relief when Gio let out a short laugh, relaxing a little as he handed the other man the skillet, and just watched him work. Gio's hands worked nimbly on chopping up mushrooms and green peppers, and Daniel saw the tension fade from Gio's body as he started to really get into his art. He was just starting to whisk the egg whites together when the doorbell rang, shaking Daniel out of his awed reverie. He checked his watch, and put his coffee mug down. "Must be my morning papers – I'll be right back."

Gio just grunted in response, and Daniel felt himself grin as he padded barefoot down the hallway. For his good deed for the day – this one was turning out to work in his advantage. Finally, a break in this Cupid business. Now all he needed was some excuse to get Betty over here so they could get this worked out. He could take Daniel Jr. to Yankees Stadium …

He was so deep his contemplation of what to do with his son long enough to give Betty and Gio the privacy they needed, that he didn't really register what happened next right away. He opened the door and said distractedly, "Oh, Hi Henry…"

"Hi , Daniel." Henry said in a short, aggrieved tone, as he straight-legged walked inside, his entire body radiating personal agony. Daniel had seen scarecrows having better wardrobe days.

Daniel looked after him dumbly, and then reality rushed up to meet him. He yelped as he closed the door swiftly, "Henry! You can't come in!"

Henry turned around to look at him, wringing his hands. "But I've _got_ to talk to you – I think I've made some sort of horrible misstep and I really need your advice…"

"Ah, okay, but maybe later? At a time and place that is not here?" Daniel said, moving towards the other man, gesturing him towards the front door. "I'm sorry, but you can't stay."

Henry suddenly looked abashed, as he lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, your son must still be sleeping. I promise, I'll keep it short and quiet, really I will. I just, I need help."

"Well, right now is a very bad time to ask me for help!" Daniel whispered back, his voice taking on an edge.

Henry's dark eyes flickered confusion and anger in equal parts. "Why, for Godsakes? I'm desperate, Daniel! I need – what?" Henry jerked as if someone had been tapping his shoulder, half-pivoting around to find himself facing a stony-faced Giovanni Rossi. Daniel couldn't see Henry's face, but he got the gist of it as Henry whispered, "Oh sh --"

That was all Henry got out, before Gio's fist swung up and connected with his nose with a resounding _whack!, _and he went stumbling backwards. Daniel just had enough time to squish himself against the wall before Henry toppled down to the hallway floor in one ungraceful heap. Henry blinked at the ceiling, a small trickle of blood coming from one nostril, and his voice was very quiet, "That …really hurt."

Gio smiled, all teeth, his eyes glowing with unrepressed rage as he hefted his fist again. "Yeah? Good – because it's about to hurt a lot more, _Egg Salad_."

Daniel sighed, running one hand through his spiky hair, "And _that,_ is why you couldn't come in." He quickly stood in-between Gio and Henry, giving Gio a hard look. "No fighting in this house – not when my son is here. Got that?"

Gio let out an angry breath, said something that Daniel could only assume was an insult in Italian, and smoothly shifted on his heel, heading back into the kitchen.

Daniel shook his head, and walked over to Henry's prone body. He eyed the other man's face, muttering to himself. "And here I thought Sunday mornings were supposed to be peaceful – c'mon, Henry, up you go." He managed to get Henry upright, and inspected his nose. "Oh yeah, this is going to be a bleeder – pinch your nose between your two fingers there. We'll go to the kitchen and get you cleaned up."

Henry nodded his head, still looking a bit cottony around the edges. When he spoke, his voice was a little nasally, and filled with shock, "He hit me!"

"That he did." Daniel said, getting one of Henry's arms around his shoulders, leading him towards the kitchen.

"Ohoooo…" Henry let out a groan. "I really messed up this time. I don't even know how to make up for this…"

"What, for bleeding?" Daniel asked, confused, as they stepped into the kitchen.

"Not … exactly." Henry said slowly, "I – agah!" A damp towel smacked into him, hitting him right in the face.

"There!" Gio snarled, as he turned off the sink, moving back to the cutting board, "Use that to staunch the blood, _voi_ _figlio stupido di una femmina_!"

"Ah, what? I don't speak Italian." Daniel said, almost afraid to touch Henry at this point. For all he knew, Gio might go after him with something more dangerous – maybe he should get that knife away from Gio…

Henry replied meekly and somewhat muffled, from behind the towel. "He said, 'you stupid son of a bitch'." He removed the towel from his face, and sighed at his now water spotted glasses, but sensibly put the towel to his nose. "Which isn't entirely accurate, because my mother is a really nice person."

Gio gripped the knife in his hand tighter and Daniel winced, but Gio merely went back to cutting peppers into tiny, tiny pieces, speaking harshly in Italian again, "_Allora ritengo spiacente per la vostra madre, per avere un tal __**testa di merda**____per un figlio!"_

Henry looked balefully at the other man, and glanced at Daniel. "He said, 'Then I feel sorry for your mother, for having such a shithead for a son'."

Daniel blinked, giving the other man a slightly amazed look. "You speak Italian? _Fluently_?"

Henry shrugged, taking the towel away from his already swelling nose. "It's just something I know."

Gio slammed the knife into the cutting board that the entire thing vibrated, and turned to face Henry, his gaze blazing. "Well, here's something else you should know, you giant douchebag! You never should have come back! You should have stayed in Tucson, with your son and your new life, and let Betty get on with hers! But you just couldn't resist, could you? You just couldn't let go!" He jabbed a finger in Henry's face, making the taller man step back. "What the hell kind of sadistic bastard are you? Do you enjoy breaking her heart over and over again? Well, I'm here to tell you – this time? This time I am not playing the nice guy! You broke up, and I took my chance, and don't you think I won't fight you for her! I will _end_ you! This was a huge mistake, Grubstick!"

Henry heaved out a huge sigh, taking the towel away from his nose. "You're absolutely right."

"That's right, I am – what?" Gio stopped, staring at Henry, confusion warring with anger. "What do you mean, I'm right?"

"And what exactly is he right about?" Daniel asked, as he wisely grabbed the knife and put it on top of the fridge. Just being cautious. No need for anyone to get stabbed in someplace they might need later. Especially him.

"It was a huge mistake coming here, and I never should have come back." Henry sighed, hanging his head a little, as he started to pace the kitchen. "I wasn't going to, either. At least, not like this. I was hoping to bring Nate to meet my New York friends when he was older, teach him some culture, take him to museums…"

Gio folded his arms over his chest, still glowering, but confusion was winning. "So what, you decided that he needed to soak it in when he hasn't even learned to sit up yet?"

"No. I didn't even think of Natie, when I did this. I've been literally insane for three whole days." Henry waved his hands a little nervously, pacing back and forth through the kitchen. "Three days ago, I woke up, I played with my son, I went to work … and I was at the coffee machine, getting myself a coffee with a hint of hazelnut flavoring when Carol from adjustments came up and started talking to me. We joked around about one of our accounts – you know, if two plus two equaled twenty thousand she'd be fine – and she smiled at me. I … I smiled back." He turned to face them both. "And that's …that was when I realized, I was getting over her."

Daniel and Gio looked at each other, then at Henry, and then back to each other, before looking at him again, both of them saying very slowly, "… Huh?"

"I was getting over Betty. I was moving on with my life – and I don't know – I just panicked. I mean, it's been a month and I'm already starting to get over her? What does that say about me?" Henry started to pace again, "We fought so hard, and so long to be together and then I'm just … I'm fine? I'm smiling at other women. So I called in sick – the first day, ever, that I've done that! – ran to the first jeweler I could find and got a ring – ran to the airport and got the first flight back to New York."

He cleared his throat, as Daniel and Gio continued to gape at him, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I didn't even call her – I thought it would be romantic but I think I knew if I had she would have told me not to come…" He rubbed his face with agitation.

Gio and Daniel exchanged another glance, and Gio spoke slowly, "Henry, that doesn't make any goddamned sense. I mean, as romantic gestures go, why would you come if you knew she wouldn't want you to?"

"Because … because I knew she'd tell me about you. And her. I knew as soon as we broke up – she'd finally wake up and see how you felt about her." Henry's expression was miserable, when he looked at Gio, "I didn't know about Rome … but I knew there'd be something."

"Wait, wait wait … wait!" Daniel put up his hands agitatedly, waving for a pause, "Let me get this straight – you ran all the way back from Tucson to propose marriage to Betty, without even calling her and or letting her know, because you were getting over her and you purposely wanted to ignore anything she might have had with Gio? You don't even to really marry her – you just want to make sure that she's not over you like you're over her? Is _that_ what you're saying, Henry?"

Henry hung his head for a moment, his voice soft. "I think so, yes."

In that moment, Gio looked like he would have given Henry a black eye to match his swelled nose. That is, of course, if Daniel hadn't beat him to it first, blue eyes flashing outrage, and punching Henry so hard that his glasses came flying off. Gio had to reach in the air and snag them before they smashed on the ground.

Henry stumbled back again, grabbing the counter to get his balance, holding his eye, "You hit me!"

Gio stared at Daniel, then at the glasses in his hand, then at Henry, before he swerved his gaze back to Daniel, "You hit him!"

Daniel was holding his hand and cursing – Henry had a skull like iron – and he glowered at the two of them, "You're damned right I hit him! This is my kitchen and I'll pummel who I like! Ow! Owow!"

"I'm the one who is in love with her, shouldn't _I_ be the one hitting him?" Gio asked, as he handed Henry's glasses to him.

"I had a moment, okay? Jesus Christ, this hurts!" Daniel howled, hopping around a little.

Henry squinted out of his bad eye, which was already starting to turn puffy. "I can't believe you hit me, Daniel! I mean, I understand, but … but … "

"More of a lover, and not a fighter." Gio said, hands on his hips, looking at Henry. "Right?"

"Right… oh God, my entire face is starting to ache." Henry mumbled, before he slumped to the ground.

"You hurt my little sister, and there are going to be consequences!" Daniel threatened, before his face collapsed into pain. "I think I may have broken something."

Gio looked at the both of them, rolled his eyes, and went into the freezer. He tossed a bag of frozen peas to Henry, and one of frozen broccoli to Daniel, before letting out a sigh and sliding down to the ground himself. "I can't believe any of this – Henry Grubstick, the Prince Charming amongst men, turns out to be a bigger asshole than I thought possible, and Daniel Meade, the rich boy slacker playboy, is a brawler. The world is askew."

Henry put the frozen vegetables to his face, sighing with relief, before he said faintly, "You know what askew means?"

Gio snorted, resting his arms on his knees. "Yeah. It's just _something_ I _know_. Like how to duck a punch, Grubstick." He eyed Daniel, the faintest of smiles glimmering on his face. "Or throw one."

"Heat of the moment." Daniel muttered under his breath, holding the bag to his hand, as he too, sat down on the floor. "And I don't seem to be the only one here suffering here from that, so … yeah."

Gio looked at his own fist, and for the first time Daniel could see the slight swelling and bruising. The other man sighed. "Yeah."

Henry tilted his head back, covering both his nose and his eye with the bag. "I think … I win in that particular contest."

That was when the doorbell rang. Daniel groaned softly, as he started to get up, "Now what?"

There was the sound of the door opening, and Daniel Jr's speaking in French to someone, and that someone speaking in a very, very familiar voice. "Uhm, I'm sorry, Daniel Jr, but I really don't speak French?" Betty's voice paused, and then became cheerier, "Oh thank you – you're such a polite little boy – ah, where is Big Daniel? Dad? Er … Papa?"

Daniel, Senior, swallowed convulsively, and shifted to look at the other two men, who looked equally sick to their stomachs. They looked at each other, and then at the door, all muttering softly, "Oh, Crap."

"Daniel – listen – I've been thinking and I had this crazy thought…" Betty walked into the kitchen, Daniel Jr. right behind her. They took in the scene, with slightly open mouths. Betty was the first to shake her head and get it back into the game, "Where – what – who – Daniel? Gio? _Henry_?? What is going _on_?"

"Papa!" Daniel Jr. squeezed past Betty, going to his father, jabbering worriedly in French, looking at his hand, and then back at him.

Henry blinked his one good eye. "…Okay, I think someone hit me too hard, because that little boy is speaking nothing but French."

"He's my son, Henry, and he's French. Hence the … yeah." Daniel squeezed Daniel Jr's shoulders, meeting his son's concerned gaze, speaking clearly. "Daniel, I'm fine. It's nothing, see?" He took off the bag of frozen broccoli, showing the little boy his fist. "See?"

Daniel Jr., gave him a small smile in turn, and then settled by his side, looking at Henry curiously, then back to Daniel, speaking in slow, slightly mangled English. "Who hurt?"

Betty huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "That would be my question. What is going on? Why does Henry's face look like he was used for a piñata? Who hit him?"

Daniel and Gio looked at each other, sighed, and both of them raised their hands. Betty stared, her arms abruptly dropping, before she pointed one finger from Gio, to Daniel, to Gio, and then she shifted back to Daniel, disbelief clearly outlined on her expression. "You?"

Daniel looked embarrassed, and he played with Daniel Jr's hair nervously in response. "I had my reasons."

Betty gave him an aggravated look, but he kept his mouth shut. This was Henry's explanation to give, not his. After a moment, she turned to Gio, her lips pressed together, "I guess you had your reasons too?"

Daniel winced at the dark spark in Gio's eyes, and he winced a little more as Gio got to his feet slowly, never taking his gaze from Betty. "Yes, actually, I did. I do. Of course, now I'm sort of wondering _why_."

Betty shifted, uncomfortable, and her voice lost some of the edge, softening, "Gio, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Henry, or his proposal. It was … it was cowardly, and I know it. I just needed time to think and I wasn't sure if I could get that time, without hurting you."

Something in Gio's jaw twitched, and he put his hands on his hips, before looking up at her, anger warring pain, along with a flash of defeat. Daniel suddenly wondered if Gio thought he had lost to Henry already. It would explain the punch in the hallway, amongst other things. Gio finally spoke and his voice was low, and rough. "Suarez … I told you, if you didn't want to go with me, you just had to say so. I wasn't trying to pressure you into a choice."

"No, you weren't." Betty played with her fingers. "The thing was, I had to make one. I can't keep wavering. I can't keep riding the line. See, when we were at the softball game? And I got hit in the head? I had something of an epiphany – about the proposal, about going to Rome …"

"And did this epiphany have anything to do with playing around with my emotions, again?" Gio asked, his voice sounding jagged.

Something flashed through Betty's gaze – and Daniel was surprised to find it was anger, "I'm not playing with your emotions! How can you say that?"

"Oh yeah? Then what could you possibly say to explain what you're doing right now, Suarez?" Gio's voice rose to a yell, "Go on, tell us your grand decision! It's not like we don't already all know the answer anyways, right?"

"Gio …" Daniel started to say, but he was cut off from a gesture from Betty, sharp and hostile.

"Don't you get into this, Daniel!" She stepped up to Gio, dark eyes blazing behind her glasses, "Just _what_ is it that you _think_ you know, Gio?"

"You _know_ what! I'm almost happy to back off! I'm _happy_ to stand aside, and let you make the worst decision of your life!" Gio was off and running now, fueled by pain and bitterness, "I just want to know, Betty, if I treated you like _crap_ too, would I be getting this much of a chance?"

"Hey, now –" Henry started to say, but then he was cut off as well by Betty and Gio both shouting, "_Shut up, Henry_!"

Henry sank down a little, catching Daniel's eye and muttering, "Ok-ay, then."

Gio took a step forward himself, so that both he and Betty were mere inches apart, anger rolling off of him in waves. "Answer the _question_, Suarez! If I got some girl pregnant that I didn't even like, left you _two_ or _three _times to be with the baby and then came back again, playing with your _head_, your _heart_, and your _sense of self_, would you be _falling_ all over me? Would you marry me if I was a complete _asshole_?"

"Well, since I'm _not_ marrying _Henry_, I guess the answer to that would be _NO_! Puts a _few holes_ in your brilliant theory, Doesn't It?!" Betty shouted back, and that was when everyone went into a shocked silence.

Gio and Betty were staring at one another, huffing out breaths like they had just gone ten rounds with no clear victor. Gio's eyes ran over Betty's face, like a drowning man looking for something to cling to, his voice raspy, "… Really?"

Betty looked like she was halfway between bolting, and throwing her arms around Gio. Instead, she managed a few short nods, before speaking quietly. "Really."

Daniel held his breath, because he was fairly sure in about thirty seconds they were about to kiss in the middle of his kitchen and he was going to have to decide between doing a happy dance and covering Daniel Jr's eyes for decency's sake. Well, he thought that until Henry's voice cut in with a short. "_Really_."

Betty jerked her head away from Gio to Henry, and Daniel winced, waiting for the Betty-cringe of guilt and the apology, but instead Betty simply squared her shoulders, looking directly at Henry without hesitation, "Yes, really. I'm sorry, Henry, but I can't marry you. I won't."

Henry's face shifted from faintly relieved to confused, and then to angry hurt in a mirror of Gio's expression, "But … but I thought that's what you'd want. Us, together."

"Henry…" Betty sighed, and she moved forward, putting her hands on his arms, looking up at him. "I'm done. I can't do this anymore. I can't build a relationship of us 'being together', when we never really will be. There is always going to be something more 'important' between us. First it was Walter, and then it was Charlie, and now … now it's Nate. We're a pair of 'star-crossed' lovers and, and I don't want that, anymore. I don't want romance novels, I want someone who is going to put me first. I want someone to be _here_, with me. I want to be part of someone's lifetime dreams, and I want that someone to be a part of mine. I don't want to be shoved into them, out of _desperation_."

"This isn't desperation! What about everything we've had?" Henry said, his voice rising slightly like it did when he was starting to get upset.

Again Daniel braced himself for Betty crumbling, but she surprised him again by shaking her head negatively. "What do we have, Henry? We've got some sort of …fairy tale! Half of our relationship was that we couldn't be together!" She heaved out a breath, "Well, you're not Romeo, and I'm not _Juliet_. I'm Betty, I'm not dead, and I want something _real_."

Henry looked away, and Daniel could see sadness and resentment filling each line and frowning crease on his face. "I see. I'm not real. I'm just some sort of figment of your imagination."

Betty pressed her lips together, her voice going quieter, and calmer, and perhaps .. just a little sharper. "Henry, don't you go there. Our break-up was mutual. You have your son, and I have my life here."

"You have Gio, that's what you mean." Henry pushed his glasses up his nose,

I'm not real, like Gio. _Gio_'s the one who can be real for you."

"Don't." Betty's voice became almost a whisper, and razor-sharp besides "Don't you dare drag him into this. Our problems have nothing to do with him – and never have."

Daniel raised his hands, about a moment away from covering Daniel Jr.'s ears, because he knew this voice, and he knew that expression, and he was fairly sure they were about a moment away from Queens explosion. He caught Gio's eye – the other man had just been standing there, staring at Betty like she was the Coming of Christ. Now, even he had wisely taken a step back, his eyes meeting Daniel's.

Henry, apparently, had never gotten the Really Angry Betty Memo. His jaw was like a long, hard line. "I mean, I saw it from the start. I just didn't admit it." He stared at her, glaring. "He wants to take you to Rome! We broke up a month ago, and you want to go to Rome with him! You do! You want him!"

Daniel could practically see the steam coming off of Betty's head, as her fists clenched by her sides and her entire body tensed as she shouted back into Henry's face. "YES! I want to be with Gio!"

Again, silence fell, like an awkward blanket. Well, the adults felt awkward. Daniel Jr, didn't understand what was going on, but he did have fascinated look on his face. Daniel's eyes shifted away from his son to Henry, who looked like his entire world had been broken apart and then rather abruptly pushed back together again, and then over to Gio, who looked like he was about two seconds away from dancing. Daniel's eyes moved again, and he found Betty's eyes on him. He stared at her as she spoke, in that same, low, even tone as before. "Daniel, I want you to cover Daniel Jr. ears. I am about to use language that I don't want him learning in English."

Daniel promptly put both of his hands over his son's ears, cupping them firmly down. Betty gave a curt nod of approval, before turning sharply on her heel to Henry, pointing her index finger into his chest, her voice staying at that same, low, even tone that meant she was about five seconds away from tearing someone into pieces. "But Gio is not, I repeat, not the reason we broke up. He is not the reason I am not marrying you. The reason is me realizing that you are not a good influence in my life – and by this little display I'm suddenly reminded why! You can be such … such an _asshole_!"

Henry's eyes went wide, and he looked from her pointing finger to her face, whispering in faint disbelief, "Betty!"

"Oh-oooh you heard me right, Mister! ASSHOLE!" Betty fumed, jabbing her finger at him again. "You were jealous of Gio for months, and I never, ever gave you a reason to distrust me! I went out of my way to, to, to show you that you had no reason to worry, and _why_? You still thought I was going to leave you for him anyways! And let me tell you something, Henry, it hurt. It _hurt_ to do that. Everything in our relationship, it has to be about you!" She threw her hands up in the air, staring at him, "I had a dream, Henry, on that softball field. And in that dream – we were married, and in Tucson – and it was about you. Making time for your son, over my writing. For your real life over my dreams. That's what our marriage would be, nothing but compromise … for me. No. No more."

She sighed, and said quietly, "This isn't a matter of me choosing between the two of you. It is a matter of choosing myself. Finally, for the _first_ time. I choose _me_."

Henry sucked in a harsh breath, before he nodded his head slowly. "Well, okay."

Betty started, slightly, her voice baffled. "Okay? Okay, what?"

Henry shrugged, a half-hearted thing, before he looked at her. "Okay – you're right. You are absolutely right." He glanced over at Gio, and a weird smile twisted over his face. "Even over the … asshole thing." He cleared his throat, looking back at her. "I never should have come here, and put you in this position. I never should have tried to make it a choice, about me. I should have thought of you. It seems I haven't been doing that a lot, lately. And I never should have used something as flimsy as my jealousy to pick a fight. For all of that, Betty … I'm sorry. I am."

From Gio's corner, there came a faint throat clearing, and Gio raised his hand, looking sheepish. He gave a sideways look to Henry, before putting his eyes on Betty. "I'm sorry, too. For doing the same thing." He paused, "Well, obviously not all the _same _things … but, y'know. Accusing you like that."

Betty nodded her head, and heaved out a sigh. "I'm sorry, too. For putting you in a position that you would feel that way, and for keeping Henry's proposal from you. I won't be doing that again." She turned to Henry, her voice quiet. "And I'm sorry, that I didn't tell you all of this, right when I saw you. I was a coward, and there's no excuse for that."

There was another pause, but shorter by Gio saying quietly, "Wow, this got very after-school special all of a sudden. I feel like I should be waiting for the _Lifetime Movie_ theme to start." Off of Betty's dirty look, he shrugged and smirked. "I'm sorry, but it's getting a little too sappy, B."

"She likes a bit of sap." Henry said quietly, before shaking his head. "I should get going – I used up half of my sick days and I have to catch the first flight back. There are people there who need me."

Betty stepped forward, squeezing his hand, before she spoke quietly. "I'm going to go get your ring." She paused at the doorway, giving Daniel a wry look. "You can let go of Daniel Jr.'s head now."

Daniel immediately let go of Daniel Jr.'s skull, looking sheepish. "Ah, right." Daniel Jr. rubbed his ears and smiled at the three adults, enjoying all the entertainment. Daniel could only wonder what his son must be thinking – besides that his father's friends were better than sitcom television.

"Well … " he started to say, and trailed off. Honestly, where the hell could they go from here, in this conversation?

Gio answered that question by turning to Henry, his gaze intent on the other man. "You're not going to tell her about your little 'freak-out'?"

Henry shook his head, putting his glasses back on. "What would be the point? She made her choice. Telling her that it was all a mistake would take away from this decision for her. She'd always wonder – and I'm finished, making Betty wonder." He looked at Gio, and then Daniel, his expression quiet, "Let me do this last thing for her?"

Gio and Daniel exchanged a glance, and Daniel spoke quietly, "Sounds good to me, Henry." He pushed himself to his feet, Daniel Jr. following him up.

Gio nodded his head, and after a moment, held out his hand. "I guess you're not as much of an asshole as I thought."

Henry's lips quirked up slightly, before enfolding his hand around Gio's. "Coming from you, I'll take that as the best kind of compliment. Goodbye, Gio."

Gio smirked, shaking his hand firmly. "Goodbye, Henry." His eyes narrowed. "For awhile?"

"For a long while." Henry affirmed, sighed, and disengaged his hand. He glanced through the kitchen door, and squared his shoulders, and walked out. In the hall, Daniel could hear him talking to Betty, and he sighed, turning towards Gio, one arm wrapped around his son's shoulders.

Gio offered them both a half-smile, before looking towards the kitchen door. "Before I forget – I'm sorry about this too. All this … drama. I'm sure you just wanted to spend time with your son."

"Well … yes." Daniel looked at Daniel Jr, who smiled at him warmly. He smiled back. "But I got a lifetime for that. This? This right now is an important moment for people I care about." He grinned suddenly. "And no one stabbed one another, so I consider this a win."

There was the sound of the front door closing.

"Heh." Gio's lips curved into a half smile, but that faded as Betty entered the kitchen once more. She had her arms folded over her chest, looking pensive. She looked up, and their gazes locked again.

Daniel glanced from one to the other, and then he looked down to his son, "Okay, Daniel. It is time for 'Lavez', and 'Changez de vetements'. Then we'll, ah, 'Mangons'. All right?"

Daniel Jr. nodded his head, beamed, and headed off to his room. Leaving Daniel in the kitchen, gnawing on the inside of his mouth as he watched the two of them look at one another, intently. He folded his arms over his chest, shifting his gaze back and forth. Silently urging one of them to do _something._

Gio was the first to speak, his voice lowering as he met her gaze. "All right, B. You know what I want to know. You choose you. So – where does that leave us?" He lifted his chin. "I'm not pressuring you, but I think I deserve an answer."

Betty wet her lips, and said softly. "Can you hold on for thirty seconds? I have something for you, too."

Gio pressed his lips together, "Like … what?"

For the first time since she walked in, Betty smiled one of her best smiles. "You'll see." She spun around, and walked back out to the hallway.

Gio didn't move, just watched her leave longingly. He muttered softly to Daniel, even though his eyes never left the doorway. "Oh, I am so done, aren't I?"

"You _really_ are. She has _completely_ done you in." Daniel said, lips twitching.

Gio finally looked away, meeting Daniel's gaze. He smiled, his entire expression accepting his fate as a man bewitched. "Totally worth it."

Daniel's smile broadened, and he nodded his head in silent approval just as Betty walked back in with a long, white box. She walked over with it to Gio, her gaze a little shy as she handed it over with care. Gio gave her a curious look, before he flipped the box open, and stared at its contents. "A … dozen red roses, and two envelopes." He arched an eyebrow at Betty, "Did I win Mr. New York? Where're my tiara and my stunning sash?"

Betty let out an exasperated sigh, "No, Dork. One of those envelopes holds one first class ticket, and accommodations at the best hotels in Rome. For five weeks." She looked over at Daniel, her expression a little abashed. "I did a little re-arranging, this morning."

Daniel arched an eyebrow. "Did you use the company credit card?"

Betty flashed him a sunny smirk. "All on Alexis's tab. A little … petty, but I figured it was worth it."

Daniel silently agreed, especially when Alexis found out what it was for. No matter what the relationship between the siblings – Alexis still had a soft spot for Betty.

Gio had gotten the one envelope opened, looking at the ticket and the other papers, his expression unreadable. "This is all only for one, and for five weeks. I only planned on staying four – with … well."

"Gio, look at me." Betty's voice was soft, and Gio looked up at her. She stepped closer to him, her hands kneading one another. "What I said about following my own dreams – I meant it. So … I'm going to Mexico, instead. I'm going to spend four weeks, just writing. Thinking. Improving my style, and coming up with new ideas. Like you've always told me – I'm never going to be the kind of writer I want to be if I don't do something about it." She took a deep breath, "But… what's equally important to me – is supporting your dreams too, like you have mine. So, four weeks – alone – without me to distract you. To really find your flavor, and come up with a culinary style, all your own."

One corner of Gio's mouth lifted, and his eyes filled with fondness. "It means a lot to you, seeing me succeed."

"Like I said, Gio. I want to be part of someone's dreams, and yours … you can go _so_ far, Gio. You just need someone to push you, and I'm glad to be the one who shoves you. Again." She played with her fingers a little more, a small smile working on her face. "You've always been there for me. This is how I'm going to start being there for you."

Gio nodded his head slowly, his voice quiet, "Thank you." He paused, "But … you didn't finish answering my question. Five weeks?" He pulled out the ticket, one eyebrow arching. "What's the extra week for?"

Betty's face flushed, but she didn't look away. "Well, that's simple. The other envelope … it's a ticket from Mexico, to Rome. In four weeks – if you still want me there – I'll come. I also included my grandmother's address in Mexico, and uhm, twenty dollars for postage. I meant to get lire, but it's early and the exchange office was closed. Anyways, it should be enough." She paused, gnawing on her bottom lip, looking at him.

Gio gazed back at her, his breath coming in light, almost uneven puffs. He held up both envelopes, his tone intense. "Do you mean this, B? Do you _really_ mean this?"

Betty dropped her hands to her sides, inhaling slowly, before she murmured quietly. "Ask me for more." Behind her glasses, her dark eyes were intent. "Just ask."

Gio's mouth moved for a moment, and he had to take a quick breath that hitched in his throat. He swallowed, and spoke in a low, rough tone. "More."

Betty closed the distance between them in one swift motion, her arms coming up around his neck, and her mouth met his fiercely. Gio dropped the box in his hands and instead wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tightly, crushing her to him as he parted his lips under hers. Her hands squeezed tightly as she let out a soft, pleased noise, and he responded by wrapping his hand into her hair, holding her closer. They kissed each other hungrily. As far as they were concerned, there wasn't another person in the world besides the one they were holding.

Which, hey, Daniel would have been perfectly fine with. If they weren't in _his_ kitchen, and he wasn't more than three feet away. He covered his mouth to keep from laughing, and he actually held off his discomfort as long as he could. When that finally broke, he gently cleared his throat..

Then, a little less gently.

Betty was the one who jerked her head up first, her eyes blinking with confusion and her mouth wet and slightly bruised, "Oh! Daniel!"

"Yes. I'm still here." Daniel said dryly. "What with it being my loft, and all."

Gio cleared his throat, and he and Betty looked at one another before they burst into laughter. Daniel rolled his eyes in response, just giving them a look, which made them laugh more, look at each other, and then look at each other's mouths ... "Hey now! I see that! You are not using my kitchen for sexual purposes!" Daniel pointed a finger at both of them. "I'm the only one allowed to do that!"

"Ew?" Betty made a face, before she calmed her expression. "I have to get going anyways – my flight is in about five hours and it'll take nearly that long to get through security."

Gio's eyes widened, looking faintly distressed, before he said with mock lightness. "Four weeks, Suarez! You sure you're going to be able to make it? I mean, that's a long time without yours truly."

Betty rolled her eyes, but there was nothing sarcastic to her brilliant smile. "And yet, _somehow_ Gio, I think I'll manage to survive."

One corner of Gio's mouth lifted, flashing a dimple. "I don't know … sounds like a flimsy cover-up for your true feelings to me." He folded his arms over his chest, smirking knowingly. "Qu-ack."

Betty put one hand on her hip, facing him again, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're just saying that because you know you're going to be missing me." Her grin was sudden, as she slowly drew out, "Woooooo-f."

Daniel looked from one to the other, completely baffled as he said, "Oh, hey Gio, watch out for your flowers there on the floor – oooohKay. I guess that's not an issue." He sighed as he bent down, rescuing as many of the roses as he could so he wouldn't have petals crushed into his floor, adding wryly, "Seeing as you are making out." Pause. "Again." No response, and he rolled his eyes and raised his voice, "In My Kitchen."

They split apart, finally, and Gio cleared his throat. "Ah, heh. Sorry, man."

"Sorry, Daniel." Betty said, before she looked at the clock in the microwave. "And I really should go… I don't want to be late."

"Yep. Can't have you missing your flight." Gio said quietly. "Mexico."

She looked back at him, her fingers playing a little with his black t-shirt. "Yes. And Rome. For you." She lifted her eyes, finding his eyes already on her.

Daniel looked from one, to the other, and then to the ceiling, before he sighed and went to gently snag Betty by the arm and pry her back away from Gio. He made sure to have his firm voice, "Okay, this is the only and last time I'm going to be between the two of you – but you cannot be making out in my kitchen with my ten year old son in the apartment. Betty needs to go to Mexico, and Gio … needs to make me some omelets." He pushed Betty carefully towards the kitchen doorway, and into the hallway. "So you go there, to the hallway … with your luggage?"

Betty shrugged sheepishly. "I thought I was going to have to make a few more trips, and I wanted my luggage with me, just in case …"

For his part, Daniel just laughed softly. "Betty Suarez, prepared as always."

Betty grinned in turn. "You know me. I always like to be _organized_."

Gio leaned out of the kitchen doorway, breaking into their conversation. "Just how organized are you? Because I need to find a vase for my roses, and Daniel organizes his kitchen cupboards like they're a Dali painting."

Daniel blinked. "I don't think I have any vases …I mean, not any that I bought for myself."

Betty rolled her eyes, sighing. "You know, I'm a lot less worried about leaving Gio for four weeks, than I am about you. You have three, and they were all gifts from your mother." She paused, giving Daniel a considering look. "I … could always help him find them."

"She always could." Gio affirmed, and both of them looked at him hopefully.

Daniel sighed, and went to grab the handle of Betty's suitcase. "Five minutes. I'm going to get your bag downstairs, and hail you a cab." He rolled the luggage out the door, calling out loudly behind him. "And I've got a lot of good watches, one of which I am wearing now!"

He smiled happily, as he rolled the bag into the elevator, leaning against the back of it. All right, so, his sister still fired him. He still had a son who he had to learn an entirely new language for. He lost his magazine to his worst enemy. All these things considered? Today was definitely looking up.

Five minutes on the dot, he was waiting on the sidewalk for Betty, a cab in front of him and already fully paid for the trouble, and Betty's bag already loaded up. Right on the button, Betty ran out the front door, nearly tripped and fell on her face, righted herself and beamed at Daniel. "See, on time. Ready to go. You didn't need to worry at all."

"I know." Daniel smiled gently, before arching an eyebrow as Betty hesitated at the door of the cab. "What? Is this the part where you tell me you're going to miss me most of all, Scarecrow?"

Betty bit her lip, before she looked up at him, her words coming out in a rush. "No. This is the part where I tell you – when I get back, and after you've had five weeks with your son – I think we ought to take over _Hudson_."

Daniel blinked, his mouth dropping open a little. "Ok-ay … Betty, what are you talking about –"

Betty stepped away from the cab, her eyes glowing, "Daniel, just listen to me. I did a lot of reading, researching on this before I came over – well mostly Googling. But Daniel, _Hudson_ has started going downhill. Has been, since your brother died, er and came back as a woman. I think we ought to grab the helm of it, and … well. Make it your own. My own. Our own."

"Betty, that's _crazy._ Alexis just fired me as the Editor of _Mode_, what makes you think she's going to let me take over _Hudson_?" Daniel asked, trying to keep anything resembling interest out of his voice.

"Because you own one third of the Meade Empire. Because you're bright, and talented. Because I'm driven and creative. Because … because …we'll find some sort of way to blackmail her into it!" Betty said, slightly breathless. "Daniel, we've already proven that we could take our ideas to _Mode_ and make them work, despite the odds. Now we're on our own – and I think … I _know_, we could do this."

Daniel shook his head, "Okay, let's say we even get our hands on this magazine, what the hell would we do with it? I know readership is down, but how the hell we would change that?"

"Lots of things! We could make it a magazine that really answers to the urban beat here in New York. It doesn't have to just be about what people think is cool – it could be stuff you could do with your family under fifty bucks in New York. It could be the best place to get really good cheap clothing. It could be what the coolest bar in town is, and the best ice cream parlour. We could take it back to it's roots – being about New York, and not what's just hip." She exhaled slowly, looking at him. "What do you think? Want to take a wild leap, and jump?"

It was crazy. It was insane. There was no reason whatsoever it could work, even if they managed to pry the magazine from Alexis's grasp.

"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. I'm in. Let's jump." He said, grinning as she whooped and started to dance up and down. He exhaled himself, his voice soft, "You really think we can do this?"

"Daniel … look how far we've come." Betty smiled. "You're a dad now – and you're going to be a great one. I just _made out_ with a guy, in your kitchen and I'm flying off to exotic places. We can do it. Right now, I think we can do anything."

Daniel's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "You sure this is you talking, or the hickey on your neck?"

Betty rolled her eyes, "Yes, of course it's me – I have a hickey??" She squeaked out the last, leaning to look in the window. She stared at it, her voice soft. "That's my first hickey, ever."

"It's a really nice one. I rarely have seen a better one." Daniel solemnly said. "So, I'm guessing that's just the one of many firsts we're going to have … as partners."

Betty looked away from the forming bruise on her neck, to look at him with a soft smile. She held out her hand. "Partners."

They shook firmly, before grinning, standing back and slapping each other high-five, and more seriously hugged each other tightly. Betty climbed into the cab, leaning out to say, "Check your email! Make sure to feed Daniel Jr. his greens! And … and …well, keep Gio from meeting any slutty blondes until he gets on the plane."

"Done, done, and done." He waved, as her cab drove off, and she waved back, even as it disappeared down the street. After a moment, he walked back into his building, and headed upstairs. A moment later, he stepped into his loft, just as Daniel Jr. laughed at something on the TV. He leaned into his living room, watching his son eating an omelet and grinning over some cartoon that he was sure was being translated into French subtitles. He walked in, ruffled Daniel Jr.'s hair, and then grabbed his laptop to head back into the kitchen.

Gio was standing over the stove, singing horribly. The roses, or what remained of them, stood in a lovely crystal vase. Daniel admired his mother's taste, as he settled down at the kitchen table, and opened the laptop. Gio looked up from the stove, his expression thoughtful, "What are you up to?"

"Just following Betty's list. How about you? What are your plans for the day?" Daniel smiled, as he noted that Betty had filled his email with ideas and links to _Hudson_ material over the last two years. He eyed the stove, "Do those have greens in them?"

"Ah, yes." Gio said slowly, wiping his hands off on a paper towel, "As for my plans – I need to pack, find a way to the airport tomorrow, and figure out how to get this ticket to Betty's grandmother's as soon as possible."

Daniel looked up, thoughtful. "I can help with two out of the three – I'll give you a ride myself, and I'll call our personal couriers. They might have the ticket there before she is."

"You'd do that?" Gio asked, surprise in his tone, as he used the spatula on the delicious smelling food in the skillet.

"Hey, there isn't much I wouldn't do for Betty's guy." Daniel answered, getting up to pour himself another coffee. He had a lot of reading to do – and beyond that – he still needed to think of things to do with his son. Maybe a Yankee's game? Life was suddenly a lot more full, and a lot more interesting.

Gio flipped the omelet on the plate, before handing it over to Daniel with a smile on his face that Daniel was sure someday, Betty would have framed. "You know something, Daniel Meade? You are the best Cupid I've ever met."

Daniel took the plate, and just smiled. "Oh, you have _no_ idea, Gio Rossi. No idea at _all_."


	9. Epilogue

Author's Note: Here we are at the end, and to whit, I must put my thanks to the following people

_**Author's Note: Here we are at the end, and to whit, I must put my thanks to the following people.**_

_**To Toga, who let me feed her this story in bits and pieces, even as I was typing it out while it was flowing out of my head and to the screen. **_

_**To the Getty Girls, whom without their help and guidance, this story would not even exist. Every nuance of every character is from their thoughts and interpretations, because, well. We're Getty Girls. We overanalyze. Thanks, loves!**_

_**To America Ferrara, Freddy Rodriguez, and Eric Mabius. Thank you for playing characters that are such a pleasure to write.**_

_**And thank you, readers, for sticking with me. Hope it was worth the time.**_

**Epilogue – One Year, Three Months and Five Weeks Later**

"This is Justine LeBeau of Fashion Watch, and we're here with the man to watch this week, Daniel Meade!" Justine flashed her pearly whites, raising her voice to be heard over the sounds of music and partying behind her, "Daniel, this is a big night for you, and for _Hudson_! Bringing home the coveted Magazine of the Year award, beating out the magazine that let you go, no less! How do you feel?"

Daniel smiled brilliantly for the camera, a glass of champagne in his hand and his black bow tie loosened. "I feel amazing, Justine. I mean, I could feel this win in the air, and it felt good. It felt really, really good. We worked hard, continue to work hard and put out a great magazine, and I'm glad to see it getting it's dues today." He paused, and his smile widened a little. "As for trumping out _Mode_, well … that's just icing. Maybe this will get my sister to give me a raise, huh?" He waggled his fingers at the camera, fighting off the smirk. "Hi, Alexis."

"So what do you owe to your spectacular success?" Justine asked, tossing her pretty red hair over her Wang gown.

"Ah, a lot of things, actually. My mother, who supported me from day one. My fantastic staff, who, as you can see, are happily celebrating." Daniel grinned over his shoulder, before he faced the camera again, "And of course, my right hand, Betty Suarez."

"We were hearing that name a lot tonight – your magazine – her award for Best New Writer, and not to mention that surprise win for Best Column for the Year." Justine beamed, "People are calling you the Dynamic Duo of the magazine world."

"Wow, really?" Daniel grinned. "I hope that means I'm Batman."

"No doubt you've got the charm." Justine smiled again, before looking out into the crowd, "So, where is your fabulous Robin?"

"She is … ah, dancing." Daniel turned and pointed, and the camera zoomed into the crowd, where Betty was wrapped in Gio's arms. They moved fluidly, smiling, their heads leaned together as they spun around each other to the techno-salsa beat. The camera zoomed out, focusing on Daniel's smile again. He looked back at Justine, "The guy with her is Gio Rossi – the restaurateur – her very steady boyfriend. Great guy, one of my best friends. I helped them get together, actually."

"That must be a great story!" Justine gushed.

"Yeah …" Daniel looked out to the crowd again, and one could dimly see Gio dipping Betty deeply. Daniel smiled, before turning back to Justine. "Long, but great."

He sipped his champagne as Justine tilted her head, still smiling. "Does it play heavily in how Hudson became such a success for the two of you? Was love the food of inspiration?"

"Ah, well, yes and no." Daniel said slowly, rubbing one hand through his spiky hair. "See, their romance was one story – the story of before, with _Mode_. _Hudson_, how I got here, how Betty got here, with Gio … well." He tilted his head at the camera, as he took another drink, a slow smile working over his face. "That is another story _entirely_…"


End file.
